Module 4-Prefixes Flashcards
consists of one or more letters, preceding the
root word.
Prefix
Prefix modify a medical term by indicating a
structure’s or a condition’s:
- Absence
- Location
- Number or quantity
- State
up, back again
ana-
building up
anabolism
before
ante-
before delivery
antepartum
down, through
cata-, kata-
breaking down
catabolism
beginning, origin
gen-
origin
genesis
beyond, over, between, change, or next to
meta-
next to the wrist
metacarpal
night
noct(i)-
occuring in the night
nocturnal
night
nyct(o)-
pain during the night
nyctalgia
after
post-
after birth
postpartum
before
pre-
before birth
prenatal
prim-
first
primary
first in order
prot(o)-
first
protype
original or first form
sym-, syn-
together, union
synergetic
working together
telo-
end
telophase
end phase of mitosis
ter(t)-
third
tertiary
third in order
acro-
extremity, tip
acrocyanosis
bluish color of hands and feet
anti-
against
antidote
action against a potion
apo-
separation or derivation from
aponia
separation of the mind, confusion
circum-
around
circumoral
around the mouth
contra-
opposite, against
contralateral
opposite side
dorso-, dorsi-
back
dorsiflexion
bending back
ecto-
outside, misplaced
ectopic
outside the intended place
endo-
within
endocardial
within the heart
epi-
on, over, upon
epigastric
over the stomach
eso-
within
esoteric
hidden within
extra-
outside of, in addition to, beyond
extracorporeal
outside the body
fore-
before, in front
forebrain
front part of brain
hyper-
above, excessive, beyond
hyperactive
excessive activity
hypo-
below, under
hypodermic
under the skin
infra-
below
infracostal
below the ribs
inter-
between parts
intercellular
between the cells
intra-
within the part
intracellular
within the cell
juxtra-
near
juxtaspinal
near the spine
medi-
middle
medial
near the midline
meso-
middle
mesoderm
middle layer of skin
ob-
against, in the way, oppose
obstruction
something in the way of normal flow
para-
beyond, beside
paraspinal
beside the spine
peri-
around
perinatal
around the time of birth
pro-
for, in front of, before
prodromal
symptom that comes before
schizo-, schisto-
split, divided
schizonychia
splitting nails
sub-
beneath
subcostal
beneath the ribs
super-
excessive, above
superciliary
hairs above the eyes
supra-
above, over
suprapubic
above the pubic bone
tele-
distant, far
telangiectasia
dilatation of distant capillaries such as in the nose
trans-
across, through, over, beyond
transabdominal
through the abdominal wall
ultra-
excessive, extreme
ultrasonic
sound waves at the extreme edge of the audio frequency range
a-, an-
without, absent
anemia
absence of blood
allo-
another, different form
allomorphic
assuming a different form
ambly-
dull
amblyopia
dull vision
andro-
male
androgen
male sex hormone
angi(o)-
vessel, duct, usually a blood vessel
angiospasm
contraction of a blood vessel
atel-
imperfect
atelectasis
imperfect expansion of lungs
auto-
self
autogenesis
starting with oneself
bacter-
bacteria
bacteroid
resembling a bacteria
bi(o)-
life
biochemistry
chemistry of living matter
brady-
slow
bradycardia
slow heart rate
cac(o)-
bad, ill
cacogeusia
bad taste
co-, com-, con-
with, together
congenital
born with
cry(o)-
cold
cryosurgery
destruction of tissue by application of cold
crypt(o)-
hidden
cryptorchidism
undescended hidden testicle
dys-
difficult
dysmenorrhea
difficult menses
eu-
good, normal
euthanasia
good death
glycol-, gluco-
sugar, sweet
glycolysis
breakdown of sugar
gyn-, gyneco
female
gynecology
study of the female
haplo-
single, simple
haploderma
simple skin inflammation
hetero-
other, different
heterosexual
other sex
homeo
unchanged
homeostasis
state of equilibrium
homo-
same
homosexual
same sex
hydra-, hydro-
water
hydrocele
watery hernia