3. Essential Prefixes Flashcards

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1
Q

mono-, uni-

A
  1. one
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2
Q

bi-, di-

A
  1. two
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3
Q

tri-

A
  1. three
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4
Q

quad-, quadri-, tetra-

A
  1. four
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5
Q

centi-

A

one hundred, one-hundredth

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6
Q

milli-

A

one-thousandth

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7
Q

diplo-

A

double

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8
Q

hemi-, semi-

A

half, partly

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9
Q

hyper-

A

excessive, more than normal

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10
Q

hypo-

A

under, less than normal

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11
Q

multi-, poly-

A

many

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12
Q

nulli-

A

none

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13
Q

pan-

A

all

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14
Q

primi-

A

first

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15
Q

super-, ultra-

A

excessive

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16
Q

ab-

A

away from.

Abduct means to carry away by force or to draw away from a given position.

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17
Q

ad-

A

toward

In drug addiction (now called chemical dependency), one is “drawn toward” a habit-forming drug. In other words, one has a compulsive physiologic need for a certain drug.

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18
Q

ante-, pre-

A

before in time or in place

An anteroom is an outer room that is generally entered before a more important room.

Prerenal pertains to the area in front of (literally, “before in place”) the kidney.

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19
Q

circum-, peri-

A

around

The perimeter is the outer boundary or the line that is drawn around the outside of an area. The circumference is the line that is drawn around a circle.

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20
Q

contra-

A

against or opposed

Contralateral means affecting the opposite side.

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21
Q

dia-

A

through

The diameter passes through the center of a circle.

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22
Q

ecto-, ex-, exo-, extra-

A

outside, without, away from

To export is to carry or send away to another place.

The skeletons of some animals, such as insects, are on the outer surface and are called exoskeletons.

Extranuclear means outside a nucleus.

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23
Q

en-, end-, endo-

A

inside

Enclose means to close up inside something, hold in, or include. Endotracheal means within the trachea.

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24
Q

epi-

A

above, on

An epitaph is often inscribed on the tombstone or above the grave of the person buried there.

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25
Q

hypo-, infra-, sub-

A

beneath, under

Hypodermic means pertaining to the area below the skin.

A subcutaneous injection places a small amount of medication below the skin layer into the subcutaneous tissue.

Four types of hypodermic injections are shown in Fig. 3.5.

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26
Q

inter-

A

between

An interval is a space of time between events.

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27
Q

intra-

A

within

Intracollegiate activities are those within a college or engaged in by members of a college. See Fig. 3.5 for explanations of the terms intramuscular, intradermal, and intravenous.

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28
Q

ipsi-

A

same

Ipsilateral means pertaining to or affecting the same side of the body. (Compare with contralateral, Fig. 3.6).

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29
Q

meso-, mid-

A

middle

The mesoderm is the middle of three tissue layers that form during the development of an embryo.

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30
Q

para-

A

near, beside, or abnormal

Two parallel lines run beside each other.

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31
Q

per-

A

through or by

To perspire is to excrete fluid through the pores of the skin. Permeable means allowing certain substances to pass through.

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32
Q

post-

A

after, behind

To postdate is to assign a date to something after the date it actually occurred, such as when one postdates a check. Postnasal means behind the nose.

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33
Q

retro-

A

behind, backward

Retroactive means extending back to a prior time or condition.

Retrospection means looking backward in time or surveying the past.

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34
Q

super-, supra-

A

above, beyond

Superficial means on or near the surface (Fig. 3.7).

Suprarenal pertains to a location above each kidney.

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35
Q

sym-, syn-

A

joined, together

A syndrome is a set of symptoms that occur together and collectively characterize a particular disease or condition.

In symbiosis, two organisms of different species beneficially coexist.

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36
Q

trans-

A

across

A transdermal drug is one that can be absorbed through (or across) unbroken skin, such as the nitroglycerin patch to relieve angina pectoris, chest pain caused by heart disease (Fig. 3.8).

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37
Q

anti-, contra-

A

against

An antiperspirant acts against perspiration.

A contraceptive acts against or prevents conception (the beginning of pregnancy). Contralateral means affecting the opposite side (see Fig. 3.6).

(The i in anti- is sometimes dropped before a vowel.)

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38
Q

brady-

A

slow

Bradycardia means a decreased pulse rate, but its literal translation is “a slow heart condition” (Fig. 3.9).

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39
Q

dys-

A

bad, difficult, disordered

Reading is very difficult when one has dyslexia. This disorder is thought to be an inability to organize written symbols.

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40
Q

eu-

A

good, normal

Euthanasia is “mercy killing,” thought by some to be a good, painless death when a person has a terminal, intolerably painful condition.

41
Q

mal-

A

bad, abnormal

Maladjusted means poorly or badly adjusted.

42
Q

pro-

A

favoring, supporting

To prolong is to make something longer; in other words, to support making it longer.

43
Q

tachy-

A

fast

Tachycardia means an increased pulse rate, but its literal translation is “a fast heart condition” (see Fig. 3.9).

44
Q

ante-, pre-, pro-

A

before

Antepartum means before childbirth.

Premarital means existing or occurring before marriage.

Proactive involves taking action before an anticipated event or occurrence.

45
Q

post-

A

after or behind

Postpartum means after childbirth.

46
Q

macro-, mega-, megalo-

A

large or great

Macroscopic structures are large enough to be seen by the naked eye.

A megadose is a dose that greatly exceeds the usual prescribed amount.

Megalomania is an abnormal mental state characterized by delusions of greatness.

47
Q

micro-

A

small

A microscope is used to view very small objects.

48
Q

a-, an-

A

no, not, without

Rule: Use a- before a consonant. Use an- before a vowel and often the letter h.

Asymptomatic means without symptoms.

Anesthesia means without feeling.

49
Q

in-

A

not or inside (in)

Inconsistent means not consistent. Inhale means “to breathe in.”

50
Q

non-

A

not

A noncancerous tumor is not malignant.

51
Q

alb/o, albin/o, leuk/o (leuc/o)

A

white

An albino is an individual with congenital absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. The skin and hair appear white because of lack of pigment (Fig. 3.12). The Latin term alba means white.

Leukemia is a malignant disease of the blood-forming organs characterized by a marked increase in the number of leukocytes (white blood cells), including immature leukocytes.

52
Q

chlor/o

A

green

Chlorophyll is the green pigment contained in chloroplasts in the leaves of plants and is the reason that plants are green.

53
Q

cyan/o

A

blue

Deficiency of oxygen in the blood can cause a condition called cyanosis, a slightly bluish, slatelike skin discoloration (Fig. 3.13).

54
Q

erythr/o

A

red

Erythrocytes are red blood cells.

55
Q

melan/o

A

black

A melancholy person is sad. In ancient times, people thought the bodies of melancholy persons produced a black bile that caused sadness. A melanoma is a malignant skin cancer (see Fig. 2.7, B).

56
Q

xanth/o

A

yellow

Xanthophyll is a yellow pigment in plants.

A condition called jaundice is often associated with a yellow appearance in the patient; however, it is derived from French and does not use xanth/o as a combining form. Jaundice is characterized by a yellowish discoloration of the skin (Fig. 3.14), mucous membranes, and white outer part of the eyeballs.

57
Q

CF: cyt/o

Suffixes:

A

-cyte

cell

58
Q

CF: gen/o

Suffixes:

A

-genic

-genesis

beginning, origin (sometimes genes)

produced by or in

producing or forming

59
Q

CF: gram/o

Suffixes:

A

-gram

-graph

-graphy

to record

a record

instrument for recording

process of recording

60
Q

CF: kinesi/o

Suffixes:

A

-kinesia, -kinesis

movement, motion

61
Q

CF: leps/o

Suffixes:

A

-lepsy

seizure

62
Q

CF: lys/o

Suffixes:

A

-lysin

-lysis

-lytic*

destruction, dissolving

that which destroys

process of destroying

capable of or producing destruction

63
Q

CF: malac/o

Suffixes:

A

-malacia

soft, softening

abnormal softening

64
Q

CF: megal/o

Suffixes:

A

-megaly

large, enlarged

enlargement

65
Q

CF: metr/o

Suffixes:

A

-meter

-metry

measure, uterine tissue

instrument used to measure

process of measuring

66
Q

CF: path/o

Suffixes:

A

-pathy

disease

67
Q

CF: phag/o

Suffixes:

A

-phagia, -phagic, -phagy

eat, ingest

eating, swallowing

68
Q

phas/o

A

-phasia

speech
v

69
Q

CF: pleg/o

Suffixes:

A

-plegia

paralysis

70
Q

CF: schis/o, schiz/o, schist/o

Suffixes:

A

-schisis

split, cleft

71
Q

CF: scler/o

Suffixes:

A

-sclerosis

hard

hardening

72
Q

CF: pleg/o

Suffixes:

A
73
Q

CF: scop/o

Suffixes:

A

-scope

-scopy

to examine, to view

instrument used for viewing

process of examining visually

74
Q

CF: troph/o

Suffixes:

A

-trophic, -trophy

nutrition

75
Q

CF: aer/o

Meaning:

A

air

Aeroplane is the British spelling of airplane.

76
Q

CF: blast/o

Meaning:

A

embryonic form

The names of early (embryonic) forms have -blast endings. For example, embryonic bone cells are osteoblasts.

77
Q

CF: cancer/o, carcin/o

Meaning:

A

cancer

A carcinoma is a cancerous tumor.

78
Q

CF: cephal/o

Meaning:

A

head

Cephalic means pertaining to the head.

79
Q

CF: cry/o

Meaning:

A

cold

Cryotherapy uses cold temperatures to treat certain conditions.

80
Q

CF: crypt/o

Meaning:

A

hidden

A cryptic remark has a hidden meaning. A cryptogram is a message written in code, so it has a hidden meaning.

81
Q

CF: dips/o

Meaning:

A

thirst

Polydipsia means excessive thirst.

82
Q

CF: electr/o

Meaning:

A

electricity

Electr/o will be easy to remember because the combining form is contained in its meaning, electricity.

83
Q

CF: fibr/o

Meaning:

A

fiber

Fibrous means containing, consisting of, or resembling fiber.

84
Q

CF: hist/o

Meaning:

A

tissue

Histocompatibility is a measure of the compatibility of tissue of a donor and recipient.

85
Q

CF:

Meaning:

A

fungus

Mycology is a branch of botany that deals with fungi (plural of fungus).

86
Q

CF: narc/o

Meaning:

A

stupor

Narcotics are so named because they produce insensibility or stupor.

87
Q

CF: necr/o

Meaning:

A

dead

Necrosis is localized tissue death in response to disease or injury (see Fig. 12.17).

88
Q

CF: optic/o, opt/o

Meaning:

A

vision

Optical pertains to vision. An optometrist tests the eyes to measure visual acuity and prescribes corrective lenses, if necessary.

89
Q

CF: phon/o

Meaning:

A

voice

We hear someone’s voice when we speak with that person by phone.

90
Q

CF: phot/o

Meaning:

A

light

Photography produces images on a film by the action of radiant energy, especially light.

91
Q

CF:

Meaning:

A
92
Q

CF:

Meaning:

A
93
Q

CF:

Meaning:

A
94
Q

CF:

Meaning:

A
95
Q

CF: py/o

Meaning:

A

pus

Pyogenic means “pus producing.”

96
Q

CF: therm/o

Meaning:

A

heat

Thermal clothing is designed to prevent loss of body heat.

97
Q

CF: top/o

Meaning:

A

position, place

Topography is often concerned with the making of maps or charts to show relative positions and elevations of a particular place or region.

98
Q

CF: trache/o

Meaning:

A

trachea (windpipe)

Endotracheal means within or through the trachea.