Chapter 4

Prefixes

In this chapter you will

1. Define basic prefixes used in the medical language

2. Analyze medical terms that combine prefixes and other word elements

a-, an no, not, without

ab- away from

ad- toward

ana- up, apart

ante- before, forward

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES page 111-112PREFIXES page 111-112

anti- against

auto- self, own

bi- two

brady- slow

cata- down

con- with, together

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES - page 111-113PREFIXES - page 111-113

contra- against, opposite

de- down, lack of

dia- through, complete

dys- bad, painful, difficult

ec-, ecto out, outside

en-, endo- in, within

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES – page 113-114PREFIXES – page 113-114

epi- upon, on, above

eu- good, normal

ex- out, away from

hemi- half

hyper- excessive, above

hypo- deficient, under

Prefix Prefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES- page 114PREFIXES- page 114

in- not

in- into, within

infra- beneath

inter- between

intra- into, within

macro- large

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES – page 114-115PREFIXES – page 114-115

mal- bad

meta- beyond, change

micro- small

neo- new

pan- all

para- abnormal, beside, near

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES – page 115-116PREFIXES – page 115-116

per- through

peri- surrounding

poly- many, much

post- after, behind

pre- before, in front of

pro- before, forwrad

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES – page 116PREFIXES – page 116

pseudo- false

re- back, again

retro- behind, backwards

sub- under

supra- above, upper

syn-, sym- together, with

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES – page 116-117PREFIXES – page 116-117

tachy- fast

trans- across, through

ultra- beyond, excel

uni- one

PrefixPrefix MeaningMeaning

PREFIXES – page 117PREFIXES – page 117

apnea

• a-• -pnea: breathing• Not breathing

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxw_Bzsilf0

anoxia

• an-• -oxia: oxygen• Without oxygen

– Decreased oxygen in tissues• supply of O2 to the respiratory system• Inability of the blood to carry O2 to the

tissues• Inability of the tissues to absorb O2 from

the circulation

abnormal

• ab-: away from• norm/o: rule, order• -al• Pertaining to away from the rule

– Not normal

abductor

• ab-• duct/o: to lead, carry• -or• One who leads away

– A muscle that draws a limb away from the body

– To abduct means to carry away by force; kidnap

adductor

• ad-: toward• duct/o• -or• One who leads toward

– To admit means to send toward or permit entrance

adrenal glands

• ad-• ren/o• -al• Pertaining to toward the kidney

– Endocrine glands located above (toward) the kidneys

– Also called suprarenal glands– Secrete the hormone adrenalin

(epinephrine)

anabolism

• ana-• bol/o• -ism• Process of casting up

– Constructive metabolism characterized by the conversion of simple substances into more complex compounds

analysis

• ana-: up, apart• -lysis• To separate apart

ante cibum

• ante-: before, forward• cib/o: meals• -um: structure, tissue, thing• (Thing) before meals

– Abbreviation: a.c.

anteflexion

• ante-• flex/o: to bend• -ion• Process of bending forward

– An abnormal position of an organ in which the organ is tilted acutely forward, folded over on itself

ante partum

• ante- before

• -partum: birth, labor

• Before birth

antisepsis

• anti-: against• seps/o: infection• -sis• Condition against infection

antibiotic

• anti-• bi/o• -tic• Pertaining to against (germ) life

– Inhibits the growth of microorganisms

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYYwZd8Qrjs

antigen

• anti-: antibody• -gen• Producing antibodies

– A substance (usually foreign: a poison, virus or bacteria) that stimulates the production of antibodies

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIQBBgAcSdI

antibody• Protein substance made in the body

to destroy foreign antigens

– Made by white blood cells in response to bacteria, viruses, or other antigenic substances

– The reaction between an antigen and an antibody is called an immune reaction

Antitoxin • anti- against

• tox/o: poison

• -in: a substance

• A substance against poison– Examples: Botulism, tetanus, diphtheria

autoimmune • auto-• immun/o: immune, protection, safe• Self protection

– the body makes antibodies against its own good cells and tissues, causing inflammation and injury

– rheumatoid arthritis: joints– systemic lupus erythematosus:connective

tissues, skin, and internal organs– Graves disease: thyroid gland

bifurcation

• bi-: two

• furc/o: forking, branching

• -ation: condition

• Condition of branching into two

Bilateral

• bi-• later/o• -al• Pertaining to two sides

bradycardia• brady-: slow

• cardi/o

• -ia

• Condition of a slow heart beat

catabolism• cata-

• bol/o

• -ism

• Process of casting down

congenital anomaly• Congenital: present at birth• Anomaly: deviation from normal• Irregularity at birth

connective

• con-: with, together

• nect/o: to bind, tie, connect

• To tie together

contraindication• contra-: against, opposite

• Indication: to point out

• To point out against

– Pregnancy is a contraindication for the prescription of Tetracycline

Contralateral

• Contra-• later/o• -al• Pertaining to the opposite side

– The muscles on one side of the body are controlled by nerves on the contralateral side of the brain

dehydration

• de-: down, lack • hydr/o• -tion• Condition of lack of water

– May follow a prolonged fever, diarrhea, vomiting

diameter

• dia-: through, complete• -meter: measure• To measure through

diarrhea

• dia-

• -rrhea: flow, discharge

• Complete flow through– Water is not properly absorbed through

the walls of the colon

dialysis• dia-• -lysis• Complete separation

– Artificial kidneymachine

dyspnea

• dys:- bad, painful, difficult, abnormal

• -pnea: breathing

• Difficult breathing

dysplasia• dys-

• -plasia: development, formation

• Abnormal development or formation

ectopic pregnancy• ec-: out, outside• top/o: place, position, location• -ic• Pertaining to a pregnancy out of

place– Outside the uterus

endocardium

• endo-• cardi/o• -um• Tissue within the heart

– Inner lining of the heart

endoscope

• endo-• -scope• Instrument to view within (the body)

– Gastroscope– Bronchoscope– Laryngoscope

endotracheal

• endo-: in, within• trache/o• -al• Pertaining to within the tracheahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VGiBwyfuNI

epithelium

• epi-• thel/o• -ium• Skin cell

– Literally, "upon a nipple."

euphoria

• eu-: good, normal• -phoria: to bear, carry, feeling

(mental state)• Feeling good

– Seen in some forms of schizophrenia, and in drug induced states

euthyroid

• eu-• thyr/o: shield• -iod: resembling• Resembling a normal shield

– Normal thyroid function

exophthalmos

• ex- out, away from• ophthalm/o• Eyes that protrude out

– Associated with enlargement and overactivity of the thyroid gland

hemiglossectomy

• hemi-: half

• gloss/o: tongue

• -ectomy

• Removal of half the tongue

Hyperglycemia• hyper-• glyc/o• -emia• High blood

sugar

hyperplasia

• hyper-

• -plasia

• Excessive formation– increase in number of cells

hypertrophy

• hyper-

• -trophy

• Excessive development– increase in size of cells

hypodermic• hypo-

• derm/o

• -ic

• Pertaining to below the skin

Hypoglycemia• hypo-• glyc/o• -emia• Decreased blood

sugar

insomniac• in-: not, into

• somn/o: sleep

• -iac: pertaining to

• Pertaining to not sleeping

Somnambulist

Incision

• in-

• cis/o

• -ion

• Process of cutting into

infracostal

• infra-: beneath• cost/o: rib• -al• Pertaining to beneath

the ribs– Subcostal

intercostal

• inter-: between

• cost/o

• -al

• Pertaining to between the ribs

intravenous

• intra-: within, into• ven/o• -ous• Pertaining to within a vein

– IV

macrocephaly

• macro-: large• cephal/o• -y: condition• Condition of a large head

– A congenital anomaly that usually results in some degree of mental retardation

malignant

• mal-: bad• ignis: fire• Harmful, bad; cancerous condition

malaise

• French

• "bad feeling.“

• Often marks the onset of disease

metacarpal bones

• meta-• carp/o: wrist bones• -al• Pertaining to the bones beyond the

wrist bones– Five hand bones

metamorphosis

• meta-• morph/o• -sis• Condition of change of shape or form

metastasis

• meta-• -stasis• Beyond control

microscope

• micro-: small

• Scope

• Instrument to view small objects

neonatal

• Neo

• nat/i: birth

• -al

• Pertaining to a new birth– The first 28 days after birth

neoplasm

• neo-: new

• -plasm

• New formation– May be benign or malignant

pancytopenia

• pan-: all• cyt/o• -penia• Deficiency in all (blood) cells

Paralysis• para-

• -lysis

• Abnormal destruction (of nerves)– Abnormal disruption of the connection

between nerve and muscle resulting in the loss of muscle function, the loss of sensation, or both

– Caused by trauma, disease, or poisoning

parathyroid glands• para-: near, beside, abnormal• thyr/o• -oid

• Endocrine glands located near the thyroid gland– Secretes parathyroid hormone which

helps maintain the level of blood calcium

– A paramedic works beside and assists a doctor

percutaneous

• per-: through

• cutane/o: skin

• -ous

• Pertaining to through the skin

percutaneous

pericardium

• peri-• cardi/o• -um• structure surrounding the heart

Periosteum

• peri-• oste/o• -um• Structure surrounding bone

polymorphonuclear

• poly-: many, much• morph/o• nucle/o• -ar• Pertaining to a many-shaped

nucleus– A type of WBC

polyneuritis

• poly-

• neur/o

• -itis

• inflammation of many nerves

postmortem

• post-: after, behind

• mort/o: death

• After death

postpartum

• post-

• -partum

• After birth

precancerous

• pre-: before, in front of• cancer/o• -ous• Pertaining to before cancer

– A stage of abnormal tissue growth that is likely to develop into a malignant tumor.

prenatal • pre-• nat/i• -al• Pertaining to before birth

– Antenatal

prodrome

• pro-: before, forward

• -drome: to run

• To run before– Symptoms that appear before the onset of

a more severe illness

prolapse

• pro-• -lapse: to slide, fall, sag• Sliding forward or downward (of an

organ)– The falling, sinking, or sliding of an

organ from its normal position or location in the body

pseudocyesis

• pseudo-: false• -cyesis: pregnancy• State of false pregnancy

– Signs of pregnancy without the presence of an embryo

– May be psychogenic in origin, caused by a tumor or endocrine disorder

relapse

• re-: back, again

• -lapse

• A sliding back– Recurrence of symptoms of disease

after apparent recovery

remission

• re-• -mission: to send• To send back

– Disappearance of symptoms of disease– May be spontaneous or the result of

treatment

recombinant DNA

• Recombining…– Inserting a gene from one organism into the DNA

of another organism– Used in genetic engineering

retroperitoneal

• retro-• peritone/o• -al• Pertaining to behind the peritoneum

retroflexion• retro-• flex/o• -ion• Process of bending backward

– An abnormal position of an organ in which the organ is tilted back acutely, folded over on itself

subcutaneous

• sub-: under• cutane/o• -ous• Pertaining to under the skin

suprapubic

• supra-: above, upper• Pub/o• -ic• Pertaining to above the pubic bone

syndactyly

• syn-: together, with• dactyl/o: fingers, toes• y• Condition of fingers or toes together

– Condition of webbed fingers or toes– A congenital anomaly

synthesis

• syn-• the/o: to put• -sis• condition of putting together

syndrome

• syn-• -drome• To run together

– A group of symptoms that run (occur) together to present a clinical disease

symbiosis

• sym-: together, with• bi/o• -sis• Condition of life together

– Two organisms living together for mutual benefit or not (parasitism)

– Example: The bacteria that live normally in the digestive tract of humans

symmetry

• sym-• metry• measurement together

– Equality of parts on opposite sides of the body

symphysis

• sym-• -physis: to grow• To grow together

– Bones that grow together at the joint

tachypnea

• tachy-: fast• -pnea• Fast (Rapid) breathing

transfusion

• trans-: across, through• -fusion: to pour• To pour across

Transurethral

• trans-

• urethr/o

• -al

• Pertaining to through the urethra

ultrasonography

• ultra-: beyond, excess• son/o: sound• -graphy• Process of recording sound beyond

(the normal range)– To view deep structures of the body

unilateral

• uni-: one• later/o• -al• Pertaining to one side

The End!