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-, anno, not, without ab-away from ad-toward ana- up, apart ante-before, forward PrefixMeaning PREFIXES page

anti-against auto-self, own bi-two brady- slow cata-down con-with, together PrefixMeaning PREFIXES - page

contra-against, opposite de-down, lack of dia-through, complete dys- bad, painful, difficult ec-, ectoout, outside en-, endo-in, within PrefixMeaning PREFIXES – page

epi-upon, on, above eu-good, normal ex-out, away from hemi- half hyper-excessive, above hypo-deficient, under Prefix Meaning PREFIXES- page 114

in-not in-into, within infra-beneath inter- between intra-into, within macro-large PrefixMeaning PREFIXES – page

mal-bad meta-beyond, change micro-small neo- new pan-all para-abnormal, beside, near PrefixMeaning PREFIXES – page

per-through peri-surrounding poly-many, much post- after, behind pre-before, in front of pro-before, forwrad PrefixMeaning PREFIXES – page 116

pseudo-false re-back, again retro-behind, backwards sub- under supra-above, upper syn-, sym-together, with PrefixMeaning PREFIXES – page

tachy-fast trans-across, through ultra-beyond, excel uni- one PrefixMeaning PREFIXES – page 117

apnea a- -pnea: breathing Not breathing

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 –

antigen anti-: antibody -gen Producing antibodies – A substance (usually foreign: a poison, virus or bacteria) that stimulates the production of antibodies –

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 kidney machine

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 trachea fuNI

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!