Overview
This lecture covers essential medical prefixes, their meanings, and example terms to help students better understand medical terminology.
Common Medical Prefixes and Examples
- a- means without, as in aphasia (without ability to communicate).
- ab- means away, as in abduction (moving away from body).
- ad- means toward, as in adduction (moving toward trunk).
- acou- means hearing, as in acoustic trauma (hearing damage).
- acro- means extremity or extreme, as in acrocyanosis (blue color in extremities).
- andro- means male, as in androgens (male sex hormones).
- angio- means vessel, as in angioma (tumor of blood vessels).
- ante- means before, as in antecubital (front of elbow).
- anti- means against, as in antibiotics (against living organisms).
- arthr- means joint, as in arthritis (joint inflammation).
- auto- means self, as in autoimmune (self-attacking disease).
- bi- means two, as in bicuspid (two cusps).
- bio- means life, as in biology (study of life).
- blast- means immature cell, as in blast (immature cell).
- brady- means slow, as in bradycardia (slow heart rate).
- broncho- means bronchus (lung tubes), as in bronchoconstriction.
- bucco- means cheek, as in buccal (cheek route medication).
- cardio- means heart, as in cardiologist (heart doctor).
- cephalo- means head, as in cephalic (head region).
- cerebro- means brain, as in cerebrovascular accident (stroke).
- circum- means around, as in circumduction (circular limb movement).
- cost- means rib, as in costovertebral (rib & vertebra region).
- derm- means skin, as in dermis (skin layer).
- dys- means difficult, as in dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).
- endo- means within, as in endoscopy (viewing within the body).
- entero- means intestine, as in enteritis (intestinal inflammation).
- epi- means above, as in epidermis (top skin layer).
- erythro- means red, as in erythrocyte (red blood cell).
- gastro- means stomach, as in gastritis (stomach inflammation).
- glosso- means tongue, as in glossopharyngeal (cranial nerve IX).
- gyneco- means female, as in gynecologist (female system doctor).
- hemi- means half, as in hemisphere (half of brain).
- hemo-/hema- means blood, as in hematologist (blood doctor).
- hepato- means liver, as in hepatitis (liver inflammation).
- hydro- means water, as in hydronephrosis (fluid in kidneys).
- hyper- means excessive, as in hypernatremia (high sodium).
- hypo- means low, as in hyponatremia (low sodium).
- inter- means between, as in intercostal (between ribs).
- intra- means within, as in intravenous (within vein).
- iso- means equal, as in isotonic (equal tonicity).
- lipo- means fat, as as in liposuction (fat removal).
- macro- means large, as in macrocytic anemia (large red blood cells).
- meningo- means membrane, as in meningitis (membrane inflammation).
- meta- means beyond, as in metatarsals (beyond tarsal bones).
- micro- means small, as in microcytic anemia (small red blood cells).
- myo- means muscle, as in myocardium (heart muscle).
- nephro- means kidney, as in nephrologist (kidney doctor).
- neuro- means nerve, as in neurologist (nerve doctor).
- oligo- means little, as in oliguria (low urine output).
- ophthalmo- means eye, as in ophthalmologist (eye doctor).
- osteo- means bone, as in osteoporosis (bone condition).
- oto- means ear, as in ototoxicity (ear toxicity).
- para- means beside, as in parathyroid (beside thyroid).
- peri- means surrounding, as in pericardium (around the heart).
- phlebo- means vein, as in phlebotomy (vein blood removal).
- post- means after, as in postpartum (after childbirth).
- pre- means before, as in prenatal (before birth).
- pseudo- means false, as in pseudoscience (false science).
- pulmo- means lung, as in pulmonologist (lung doctor).
- rhino- means nose, as in rhinitis (nose inflammation).
- spleno- means spleen, as in splenomegaly (enlarged spleen).
- sub- means below, as in sublingual (below tongue).
- supra- means above, as in supraventricular (above ventricles).
- tachy- means fast, as in tachycardia (fast heart rate).
- thoraco- means chest, as in thoracic (chest region).
- trans- means across, as in transmembrane (across membrane).
- uro- means urinary tract, as in urostomy (urinary opening).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Prefix — a word part added to the beginning of a term to modify its meaning.
- Aphasia — loss of ability to communicate.
- Bradycardia — slow heart rate (below 60 bpm in adults).
- Dysphagia — difficulty swallowing.
- Tachycardia — fast heart rate (over 100 bpm in adults).
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review and memorize these prefixes and their examples for quizzes or exams.
- Refer back to these notes when encountering unfamiliar medical terms.