Medical Terminology ALL PREFIXES

• a-

• ab-

• abs- (also absence)

• an-

• im-

• in- (this one can also be in, into)

• non-

• nulli-

• dis- (this one can be apart, absence)

• de- (this one can mean down)

no/negative/without

• ad-

• af-

• ap-

• as-

• at-

(ex:

adduction- Limb is ADDED towards body

afferent- Carrying signal TOWARD brain)

toward/to

• ambi- … (could be double)

• peri-

• par-

around/beside

ana-

(ex:

anabolic- building UP complex molecules from simpler ones.

anatomy → cutting (tomy) the body APART

anaphylaxis → an extreme reaction when exposed AGAIN

up/apart/again/excessive

• ante-

• anter/o

• fore-

• pre-

• pro- (supporting

• pros- (forward)

before/in front/forward

anti-

contra-

ob-

against

ap-, apo-

(think Apoptosis: Programmed cell death where cells DETACH and BREAK APART)

detach/separation/oppose/away from

all/o, all-

(an allograft comes from an OTHER/DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL)

other/different from normal/reversal

bi-

bin-

di-

twice/double/two

brachy-

short

brady-

slow

cine-

movement

co-

com-

con-

together/with

deci-

ten/tenth

• demi-

• hemi-

• semi-

half

dia-

through/between, apart, complete

dys-

(ex: dyslexia- difficulty reading

ex: PAINFUL menstruation)

bad, difficult, painful

• e-

• ec-

• ecto-

• ef-

• ex-

• exo-

• es-

• extra-

out/outside/away from

• em-

• en-

• end-

• endo-

• ento-

• intra-

• intro-

in, within, inside

epi-

super- (excessive)

supra-

above/upon

eso-

(Esophagus: The tube connecting the throat to the stomach — INWARD passage)

inward

eu-

good/normal, well/easy

hom/o

home/o

iso- (his one means equal)

same/alike

hyper-

above/excessive/increased

hypo-

below/deficient/decreased

infra-

(ex: infrastructure is framework BELOW a building)

below/beneath/inferior to

inter-

between/among

macro-

mega-

large

mal-

bad/ abnormal

micro-

mio- (smaller, less)

small

meso-

mid-

middle

meta-

change/beyond/after

milli-

one-thousandth

mono-

uni-

one/single

multi-

poly-

many

neo-

ne/o-

new/strange

nitro-

nitrogen

nor-

chemical compound

olig/o

scanty/few

pan-

all/entire

para-

beside

abnormal

per-

through/completely

peri-

around/surrounding

post-

retro-

after/behind

primi-

prot/o

first

pros-

(ex: prostate → gland in front of/FORWARD of the bladder)

(pros = progress = forward)

forward

pseud/o

false

• quadr/i

• quadr/o

• tetra-

four

re-

back/again

sub-

below/under

sym-

syn-

together/with

tachy-

fast, rapid

tele/o

distant

trans-

across, through

tri-

three

ultra-

beyond/excess

un-

not

juxta-

Beside/near/nearby