What does gen mean in medical terms?
gen
Meaning: birth, origin, production
Type: Word root · Body system: Whole Body & General Terms
A word root is the core of a word; prefixes and suffixes attach around it. On this page: what gen means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using gen
genesis
gen (origin) + -esis (process) = the origin or formation of something
gen (origin) + -esis (process) = the origin or formation of something
pathogen
patho- (disease) + gen (producer) = an organism that produces disease
patho- (disease) + gen (producer) = an organism that produces disease
genetics
gen (origin / heredity) + -etics (science of) = the science of heredity
gen (origin / heredity) + -etics (science of) = the science of heredity
More Whole Body & General Terms roots
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.