What are the most used medical prefixes

Submitted by information on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 12:27pm.

Here are the medical prefixes:

  • Glyco- (G) sugar: glycosuria, sugar in the urine.
  • Hemi- (G) half: heminephrectomy, excision of half the kidney.
  • Hetero- (G) other ( opposite of homo) : heterotransplant, using skin from a member of another species.
  • Homo- (G) same: homotransplant, skin grafting by using skin from a member of the same species.
  • Hyper- (G) above, excess of: hyperglycemia, excess of sugar in blood.
  • Hypo- (G) under, deficiency of: hypoglycemia, deficiency of sugar in blood. Im- or In- (L) in: infiltration, accumulation in tissue of abnormal substances.
  • Im- or In- (L) not: immature, not mature.
  • Infra- (L) below: infraorbital, below the orbit.
  • Inter- (L) between: intermuscular, between the muscles.
  • Intra- (L) within: intramuscular, within the muscle.
  • Macro- (G) large: macroblast, abnormally large red cell.
  • Meg- or Megal- (G) great: megacolon, abnormally large colon.
  • Mesa- (G) middle: mesaortitis, inflammation of middle coat of the aorta. Meta- (G) beyond, over, change': metastasis, change in seat of a disease.
  • Micro- (G) small: microplasia, dwarfism.
  • Mycet- (G) fungus: mycetoma, tumor caused by a fungus.
  • Olig- (G) little: oligemia, deficiency in volume of blood.
  • Para- (G) wrong, irregular, in the neighborhood of, around: paradenitis, inflammation of tissue in the neighborhood of a gland.
  • Per- (L) through, excessively: percutaneous, through the skin.
  • Peri- (G) around, immediately around (in contradistinction to para) : periapical, surrounding apex of root of tooth.
  • Poly- (G) many: polydactylism, many fingers, i.e., more than the usual five.
  • Post- (L) after: postpartum, after childbirth.
  • Pre- (L) before: prenatal, occurring before birth.
  • Pro- (L and G) before: prognosis forecast as to result of disease.
  • Pseud- (G) false: pseudoangina, false angina.
  • Retro- (L) backward: retroversion, turned backward ( usually, of uterus) .
  • Semi- (L) half: semicoma, mild coma.
  • Sub- (L) under: subdiaphragmatie, under the diaphragm.
  • Super- (L) above, excessively: super-acute, excessively acute.
  • Supra- (L) above, upon: suprarenal, above or upon the kidney.
  • Sym- or Syn- (G) with, together: symphysis, a growing together.
  • Tachy- (G) fast: tachycardia, fast-beating heart.
  • Trans- (L) across: transplant, transfer tissue from one place to another.
  • Tri- (L and G) three: trigastric, having three bellies (muscle).
  • Uni- (L) one: unilateral, affecting one side.

 


add new comment | 144 reads