HLTH125 Mixed Chapters: Prefixes & Suffixes (pg. 15-18)

a-, an-

no, not, without, lacking | Example: aphasia (without speech)

ab-, abs-

from, away from, off | Example: abduction (to bring away from); abscess (to yield or go away from)

an-

no, not, without, lacking | Example: anoxia (without oxygen)

ante-

before, prior to | Example: antepartum (before birth)

anti-

against | Example: antibiotic (against life)

auto-

self | Example: autograft (a graft from one's own body)

brady-

slow | Example: bradycardia (slow heartbeat)

con-, com-

with, together | Example: constriction (draw tightly together), compress (process of pressing together)

dis-

without, apart, away from | Example: disease (to be without ease, comfort)

dys-

bad, difficult, abnormal and/or painful | Example: dyspnea (bad, difficult, abnormal breathing), dysuria (difficult, painful urination)

endo-

in, inside, within, inner | Example: endoscope (instrument to view within)

epi-

on, above, upon, over | Example: epigastric (upon or over the stomach)

endo-

in, inside, within | Example: entrapment (the action of confining within)

eu-

normal, good | Example: eupnea (normal breathing)

e-, ex-, exo-

out, out of, outward away from | Example: eversion (to turn out), expectorate (pertaining to out of the chest), exotropia (outward turning)

extra-

out, outside of | Example: extracorporeal (outside of the body)

hetero-

different | Example: heterograft (graft [like a skin graft] from another species)

homo-

same | Example: homograft (graft [like a skin graft] from the same species)

hyper-

over, above, excessive | Example: hypertrophy (overdevelopment)

hypo-

under, below, low, deficient | Example: hypodermic (under the skin)

in-

in, into; within inward | Example: inhalation (to breathe in), inversion (as in turning the foot inward)

in-, im-

no, not, without | Example: infertility (not fertile); incontinence (not continent), impotent (not able to achieve an erection); illogical (not logical)

inter-

among, between | Example: intervertebral (between the vertebrae)

intra-

in, within, inside, into | Example: intravenous (inside, within a vein)

mal-

bad, abnormal | Example: malodorous (pertaining to a bad/abnormal odor)

neo-

new | Example: neonatology (study of the newborn)

oligo-

scanty, few, too little | Example: oligomenorrhea (P or CF) (scanty, too little blood during menses), oliguria (CF) (too little urine output/production)

pan-

all | Example: pancytopenia (too few of all types of blood cells)

para-, par-

beside, near, adjacent, beyond two like parts of a pair | Example: paranasal (beside the nose), paraplegia (paralysis of two like parts, as in a pair of legs)

par-

abnormal, irregular | Example: paresthesia (abnormal sensation)

per-

across, through | Example: percutaneous (through the skin), perforate (process of piercing through)

peri-

around, surround | Example: pericardial (around the heart)

post-

after | Example: postpartum (after birth)

pre-

before, prior to, in front of | Example: premenstrual (before menses)

pro-

for, before, prior to, in front of, forth, forward for, in favor of | Example: prolactin (before milk), propulsion (to move forward), prolife (for, in favor of life), progesterone (substance that favors gestation)

re-

again | Example: regurgitate (to infect again)

retro-

back, backward, behind | Example: retrosternal (behind the sternum)

sub-

below, under | Example: subcutaneous (under, below the skin)

tachy-

rapid, fast | Example: tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

trans-

through, across | Example: transurethral (across the urethra)

bi-

two | Example: bilateral (two sides)

deci-

tenth | Example: decibel (tenth of a unit of power or intensity)

hemi-

half | Example: hemiplegia (paralysis of one side/half of the body)

macro-

large, long | Example: macrotia (having large ears)

micro-

small, minute, microscopic | Example: microtia (having small ears)

mono-

one, single | Example: monoplegia (paralysis of one extremity)

multi-

many, much | Example: multigravida (woman pregnant more than once)

nulli-

no, none | Example: nulligravida (woman with no pregnancies)

pan-

all | Example: pansinusitis (inflammation of all the sinuses)

poly-

many, excessive | Example: polyuria (large amounts of urine)

quadri-

four | Example: quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs)

semi-

partial, half | Example: semiconscious (partially conscious)

tri-

three | Example: triceps (muscle with three heads)

-algia

pain | Example: gastralgia (stomach pain)

-asthenia

condition of weakness | Example: myasthenia (condition of muscle weakness)

-ate

to make, to cause | Example: defecate (to make removal of feces)

-blast

embryonic, immature | Example: myoblast (an immature/embryonic precursor cell that becomes muscle)

-cele

hernia, protrusion, swelling | Example: cystocele (protrusion of the bladder)

-clast

to break, to destroy | Example: osteoclast (a cell that breaks down the bone matrix)

-cle, -ule, -ole

little, small | Example: follicle (small sac-like structure), venule (small vein), arteriole (small artery)

-cyte

cell | Example: erythrocyte (red cell)

-dynia

pain | Example: osteodynia (bone pain)

-ectasis

abnormal dilation | Example: ureterectasis (abnormal dilation of a ureter)

-edema

swelling | Example: lymphedema (swelling of tissue related to the lymph system obstruction)

-emesis

vomit | Example: hematemesis (vomiting blood)

-emia

blood condition | Example: septicemia (condition of blood infection/poison)

-gen

generate, form, produce | Example: pathogen (that which produces disease)

-genic

pertaining to forming, generating, producing formed by, generated by | Example: carcinogenic (pertaining to forming cancer)

-genesis

forming, generating, producing | Example: spermatogenesis (formation of sperm cells)

-ia

state, condition | Example: bradycardia (condition of slow heart)

-iasis, -osis

abnormal condition | Example: lithiasis (abnormal condition of stones), necrosis (abnormal condition of death)

-ion, -tion, -ation

action, process and/or condition | Example: erection (the process or condition of the penis being erect), castration (action/process of disabling testicular function)

-itis

inflammation, infection | Example: dermatitis (inflammation of skin), cellulitis (infection of the skin)

-kinesia

condition of movement | Example: bradykinesia (a condition of abnormal slowness of movement)

-lith

calculus, a stone | Example: nephrolith (a stone/calculus in the kidney)

-logic

pertaining to the study of | Example: dermatologic (pertaining to the study of the skin)

-logist

one who studies | Example: cardiologist (one who studies the heart)

-logy

study of | Example: cardiology (study of the heart)

-lytic

pertaining to or that which destroys, breaks down, reduces, separates | Example: thrombolytic (that which destroys, breaks down clots), hemolytic (that which breaks blood cells apart)

-lysis

breakdown, separation, destruction, loosening | Example: urinalysis (separation, breakdown of urine)

-malacia

abnormal softening | Example: chondromalacia (abnormal cartilage softening)

-megaly

abnormally large abnormal enlargement | Example: cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)

-oid

resembling, derived from | Example: fibroid (resembling, derived from fibers)

-ole

small, little | Example: arteriole (small artery)

-oma

tumor, mass, swelling | Example: carcinoma (cancerous tumor), hematoma (mass/swelling of blood)

-orexia

appetite, appetite condition | Example: anorexia (condition of being without an appetite, not being hungry)

-pathy

disease | Example: myopathy (muscle disease)

-penia

too few, deficient | Example: erythropenia (too few red blood cells)

-pepsia

digestion, digestive condition | Example: dyspepsia (bad, difficult, painful digestion)

-phagia

condition of hunger | Example: polyphagia (condition of excessive hunger)

-phasia

speech, speech condition | Example: dysphasia (difficulty producing speech)

-plegia

paralysis | Example: laryngoplegia (paralysis of larynx)

-pnea

breathing | Example: tachypnea (fast breathing)

-poiesis

formation, production | Example: hematopoiesis (formation/production of blood)

-porosis

condition of pores, holes | Example: osteoporosis (condition of pores/holes in the bone)

-ptosis

drooping, prolapse, to fall out of place | Example: blepharoptosis (drooping eyelid)

-rrhage

excessive flow, abnormal flow, bursting forth of blood | Example: hemorrhage (excessive bleeding)

-rrhagia

condition of abnormal flow, excessive flow | Example: menorrhagia (abnormal flow from the uterus between menses)

-rrhea

discharge, flow | Example: rhinorrhea (discharge from the nose)

-rrhexis

rupture | Example: hysterorrhexis (ruptured uterus)