SM

Prefix and Medical Terms — Chapter 4 (Video Notes)

Prefixes

  • Overview: A collection of common medical prefixes used to form terms. They modify root words to indicate negation, location, time, number, direction, or degree.
  • Structure: Prefixes are listed as 10 groups (1 of 10 through 10 of 10) with definitions provided in the transcript.

Prefixes 1 of 10

  • a-, an- : no, not, without
  • ab- : away from
  • ad- : toward, near
  • ana- : up, apart
  • ante- : before, forward

Prefixes 2 of 10

  • anti- : against
  • bi- : two, both
  • brady- : slow
  • con- : with, together

Prefixes 3 of 10

  • dia- : complete, through
  • dys- : bad, painful, difficult, abnormal

Prefixes 4 of 10

  • ec- : out, outside
  • endo- : within, in, inner
  • epi- : above, upon
  • ex- : out
  • extra- : outside of

Prefixes 5 of 10

  • hemi- : half
  • hyper- : excessive, too much, above
  • hypo- : deficient, too little, below

Prefixes 6 of 10

  • in- : in, into
  • inter- : between
  • intra- : within
  • mal- : bad
  • meta- : change, beyond

Prefixes 7 of 10

  • neo- : new
  • para- : beside, near, along the side of
  • peri- : surrounding
  • poly- : many, much

Prefixes 8 of 10

  • post- : after, behind
  • pre- : before
  • pro- : before, forward
  • pros- : before, forward

Prefixes 9 of 10

  • quadri- : four
  • re- : back, behind
  • retro- : back, behind
  • sub- : under, less than
  • syn- : with, together

Prefixes 10 of 10

  • tachy- : fast
  • trans- : across, through
  • tri- : three
  • ultra- : beyond
  • uni- : one

Additional Medical Terms

Additional Medical Terms 1 of 5

  • Adrenal glands: Endocrine glands located above each kidney
  • Antibiotic: Destroys or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria
  • Antigen: Foreign substance, such as bacteria and viruses

Additional Medical Terms 2 of 5

  • Bradycardia: Slow heartbeat
  • Congenital anomaly: An irregularity in a structure or organ that an infant is born with
  • Dialysis: Removing harmful waste products from the body with an artificial kidney machine (dialysis machine)

Additional Medical Terms 3 of 5

  • Ectopic pregnancy: An abnormal pregnancy when the embryo implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes, but sometimes on an ovary or in the abdominal cavity
  • Parathyroid glands: Four endocrine glands located on the dorsal side of the thyroid gland that function separately from the thyroid gland
  • Prolapse: To fall or slide forward, often used to describe an organ, such as a prolapsed uterus

Additional Medical Terms 4 of 5

  • Retroperitoneal: Pertaining to behind the peritoneum; the kidneys and adrenal glands are retroperitoneal organs
  • Syndrome: A group of signs or symptoms that commonly occur together and indicate a particular disease or abnormal condition
  • Subcutaneous: Lower layer of the skin composed of fatty tissue

Additional Medical Terms 5 of 5

  • Tachycardia: Condition of fast, rapid heartbeat
  • Transurethral: When an instrument passes through the urethra
  • Ultrasonography: A diagnostic technique using ultrasound waves to produce an image or photograph of an organ or tissue

Medical Scramble Questions

Medical Scramble Questions 1-3

  • Harmless, not cancerous: benign
  • Painful urination: dysuria
  • Pertaining to a newborn: neonatal

Medical Scramble Questions 4-5

  • SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome): SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  • Organs shrink in size: atrophy

Medical Scramble Bonus Term

  • Bonus term: Foreign protein that causes an immune response (often part of bacteria and viruses and evokes production of antibodies): antigen

Practical and conceptual connections

  • Prefix knowledge ties directly to the construction of medical terms seen in the Additional Medical Terms (e.g., tachycardia uses tachy- for fast and -cardia for heart status).
  • Understanding prefixes aids in decoding meanings of unfamiliar terms in clinical notes, diagnostics, and anatomy.
  • The Medical Scramble exercises reinforce spelling, recognition, and recall of terminology, which is essential for accurate documentation and patient communication.

Notes on usage and implications

  • Practical usage: Accurate prefix knowledge improves pronunciation, spelling, and comprehension in real-world clinical settings.
  • Ethical/philosophical: Clear medical communication reduces misinterpretation and enhances patient safety, especially when discussing conditions like tachycardia, bradycardia, or congenital anomalies.
  • Foundational relevance: Prefixes are foundational to medical terminology and connect to broader topics such as anatomy (e.g., retroperitoneal), physiology (e.g., bradycardia, tachycardia), and pathology (e.g., syndrome, anomaly).