Ch 3

Prefix

Word element placed at the beginning of a word

Prefix Types

Used to change the meaning of a word

Prefixes of Position

Describe a place or location

epi/gastr/ic

Pertaining to above the stomach

inter/cost/al

Pertaining to between the ribs

pre/nat/al

Pertaining to before birth

post/nat/al

Pertaining to after birth

sub/nas/al

Pertaining to under the nose

Prefixes of Number and Measurement

Describe an amount, size, or degree of involvement

poly/phobia

Fear of many things

macro/cyte

Large cell

micro/cyte

Small cell

quadri/plegia

Paralysis of four limbs

tri/ceps

Three heads

Prefixes of Direction

Indicate a pathway or route

circum/ren/al

Pertaining to around the kidney

extra/crani/al

Pertaining to outside the skull

intra/muscul/ar

Pertaining to within the muscle

para/nas/al

Pertaining to near the nose

supra/ren/al

Pertaining to above the kidney

endo/crine

Secrete within

Other Common Prefixes

Used to change the meaning of a word

dys/

Bad; painful; difficult

eu/

Good, normal

mal/

Bad

syn/

Union, together, joined

a-, an-

Without, not

anti-, contra-

Against

homo-, homeo-

Same

brady-

Slow

tachy-

Rapid

hetero-

Different

pseudo-

False