Medical Terminology: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Abbreviations

Prefixes, Suffixes, and Abbreviations

• Lecture videos are a supplement to the textbook.

• Practice exercises in the textbook and online access are crucial.

• Chapter focuses on prefixes, suffixes, and abbreviations.

• The lecture will cover prefixes and suffixes, and provide examples.

• Abbreviations will require memorization.

Common Prefixes and Suffixes

• Used in most medical terms.

• Intro chapters cover word parts that reappear throughout the book.

• Covers different word parts that will be used through other chapters.

Word Parts

• Medical terms are formed by combining word parts.

• Example: dysuria

  • Condition of painful urination.

  • Word root is Euro (urine).

  • Prefix is dys- (painful).

  • Suffix is -ia.

• Word root (pink), prefix (blue), suffix (green).

• Suffixes are almost always required.

• Prefixes are optional.

• Cardiology: cardio (word root - heart), -logy (suffix - study of); no prefix.

• Intracranial: intra- (prefix - within), cranio (word root - skull), -al (suffix - pertaining to).

• Review of combining forms from Chapter 1 (cardio, cranial).

Prefixes Involving Numbers:

• uni- or mono- : one. Example: unilateral (on one side).

• bi- or di- : two or twice. Example: bilateral (both sides).

• tri- : three. Example: Charcot's triad (jaundice, fever, chills).

• quad- or quadri- : four. Example: quadriceps femoris (four muscles in the thigh).

• tetra- : also means four. Example: Tetralogy of Fallot (four heart defects).

• hemi- or semi- : half. Example: hemianesthesia (numbness on one side of the body).

• multi- : many. Example: multi-symptomatic (many symptoms).

• poly- : many or much. Example: polyarthritis (inflammation in multiple joints).

• Unicellular: one cell

• Monobacillary: concerning a single species of bacilli.

• Mitral valve (bicuspid valve) has two flaps.

• Tricuspid valve has three flaps.

Examples

• Unicellular: made up of one cell.

• Monobacillary: concerning a single species of bacilli.

• Mitral valve (bicuspid) has two flaps.

• Tricuspid valve has three cusps.

Prefixes Involving Negation

• a- or an- : without or not. Example: analgesic (pain relieving).

• in-, im-, or non- : not. Example: noninvasive (not invasive).

• dis- : separate or remove. Example: dislocate (separate bony ends).

• anti- or contra- : opposing or against. Example: contraindication (factor prohibiting drug administration).

• d- : away from, cessation, or without. Example: deoxygenation (without oxygen).

Prefixes Involving Position, Time, Direction

• ex- : out of or away from.

• ecto- or exo- : outer or on the outside. Example: ectoderm (outside layer of cells).

• en-, end-, or endo- : in or within. Example: endocrine (secreting internally).

• sim- or syn- : together or with. Example: symphysis (joint with tightly packed cartilage).

• synarthrosis: virtually immovable joints

• inter- : between. Example: intercostal muscles (between the ribs).

• intra- : within. Example: intracranial (within the cranium).

• sub- or infra- : below or beneath. Example: subcutaneous (below the skin).

• supra- or super- : above. Example: supracostal (above the ribs).

• pre- : before (time or space). Example: prepubescent (before puberty).

• post- : after or behind. Example: postmenopausal (after menopause).

• pari- : surrounding. Example: pericardium (tissue surrounding the heart).

• ab- : away from. Example: abduction (moving away from midline).

• ad- : to or toward. Example: adduction (moving toward midline).

• per- : through. Example: percutaneous (through the skin).

• trans- : across or through. Example: transabdominal (imaging through the abdomen).

Examples

• Ectoderm: outside layer of cells in a developing embryo.

• Endocrine: glands secreting internally.

• Symphysis: a specific type of cartilaginous joint, tightly packed.

• Synarthrosis: bones held so closely together that it permits virtually no movement.

• Supraorbital foramina: above the eye socket.

• Infraorbital: below the eye socket.

• Abduction: moving arm away from the midline.

• Adduction: putting arm back towards the midline

Prefixes Involving Relative Characteristics

• normo- : normal. Example: normotensive (normal blood pressure).

• hyper- : above or excessive. Example: hypertension (high blood pressure).

• hypo- : below or deficient. Example: hypotension (low blood pressure).

• mega- or megalo- : large or oversized. Example: megalosplenia (enlarged spleen).

• ultra- : excess or beyond. Example: ultrasound.

• macro- : very large. Example: macrosomia (large body).

• micro- : small. Example: microcephaly (small head).

• pan- : all or entire. Example: pandemic (widespread disease).

• eu- : good or normal. Example: eupnea (normal breathing).

• dys- : painful, difficult, or abnormal. Example: dyspnea (abnormal breathing).

• iso- : equal or alike. Example: isotonic (equal solute concentration).

• homo- or homeo- : same or alike. Example: homogeneous (uniform solution).

• hetero- : different or other. Example: heterogeneous (non-uniform solution).

• pseudo- : false. Example: pseudo malignancy (false malignancy).

• neo- : new. Example: neoplasm (new growth).

• re- : again or backward.

• brady- : slow. Example: bradycardia (slow heart rate).

• tachy- : fast or rapid. Example: tachycardia (fast heart rate), tachypnea (rapid breathing).

Examples

• Normotensive: normal blood pressure (120/80 mmHg).

• Hypertensive: high blood pressure.

• Hypotensive: low blood pressure.

• Hypoglycemia: low blood glucose.

• Hyperglycemia: high blood glucose.

• Pan colitis: inflammation of the whole colon.

• Microcardia: unusually small heart

Common Suffixes

• Almost all medical terms have suffixes.

• Suffixes related to condition or disease:

• -ism, -ia, -y : condition of. Example: hirsutism (condition of male pattern hair growth in women).

• -osis : abnormal condition.

• -algia : pain. Example: arthralgia (joint pain).

• -emia : condition of the blood. Example: leukemia (cancer of white blood cells).

• -itis : inflammation. Example: pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

• -megaly : enlargement. Example: cardiomegaly (enlarged heart).

• -oma : tumor. Example: lipoma (fatty tumor).

• -pathy : disease.

• -rhea : flow or discharge. Example: rhinorrhea (runny nose).

• Suffixes related to surgery:

• -centesis : puncture to aspirate. Example: amniocentesis (aspiration of amniotic fluid).

• -ectomy : excision or surgical removal. Example: appendectomy (removal of the appendix).

• -plasty : surgical repair or reconstruction.

• -rhaphy : suture, sew back together.

• -stomy : creating a surgical opening. Example: colostomy (surgical opening in the colon).

• -tomy : making an incision.

• Suffixes meaning pertaining to:

• -ic, -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -ous. Examples: gastric (pertaining to the stomach), cardiac (pertaining to the heart), esophageal (pertaining to the esophagus), lumbar (pertaining to the lower back), coronary (pertaining to the circular arterial network around the heart), venous (pertaining to the veins).

• -genic or -genesis : originating or producing. Example: angiogenesis (production of blood vessels).

• -gram: recording.

• -graphy: process of recording

• -ium : tissue. Example: pericardium (tissue surrounding the heart).

• -logist or -ist : one who specializes in. Example: cardiologist (one who specializes in the heart).

• -logy : study of. Example: osteology (study of the bones).

• -meter : instrument for measuring.

• -oid : resembling. Example: lymphoid (resembling lymph tissue).

• -ole : small. Example: arteriole (tiny artery).

• -scope: instrument for examination

• -scopy: process of examination

Examples

• Leukemia: cancer of the white blood cells

• Pancreatitis: inflammation of the pancreas.

• Cardiomegaly: Enlarged heart

• Rhinorrhea: runny nose.

• Amniocentesis: aspirating a little bit of the amniotic fluid.

• Cordotomy: surgical incision into the spinal cord.

Common Abbreviations

• Abbreviations save time, but can be confusing.