Medical Prefixes

Question 1

Lack of or without. Example Asymptomatic – without symptoms.

Answer 1

A or an

Question 2

Away from. Example abduct – to move an extremity away from the body.

Answer 2

Ab

Question 3

Of or relating to the abdomen. Example abdominal.

Answer 3

Abdomin

Question 4

Toward, in the direction of. Example, abduction-to move an extremity toward the body.

Answer 4

Ad

Question 5

Air, gas, example area, Aerosinusitis.

Answer 5

Aer(o)

Question 6

Not, without. Example analgesia – without pain.

Answer 6

An

Question 7

Blood vessel. Example angiogram – x-ray to look at blood vessels.

Answer 7

Angi

Question 8

Of or pertaining to an artery. Example arteriole – small branch of an artery.

Answer 8

Arterio

Question 9

Of or pertaining to the joints, limbs. Example arthritis – inflammation of the joints.

Answer 9

Arthr

Question 10

Fatty deposits, soft, gruel, like deposits. Example atherosclerosis – pattern of disease where the artery walls build up fatty deposits.

Answer 10

Ather

Question 11

Of or pertaining to the armpit. Example axilla – armpit.

Answer 11

Axill

Question 12

Of or pertaining to the eyelid. Example: Blepharospasm - Spasm of the eyelid.

Answer 12

Belpharo

Question 13

Of or relating to the arm.

Answer 13

Brachio-

Question 14

Slow. Example: Bradycardia - A condition where an individual has a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute in adults.

Answer 14

Brady-

Question 15

Of or relating to the bronchus. Example: Bronchitis - Inflammation of the lungs that causes coughing.

Answer 15

Bronchi-

Question 16

Fluid sac between the bones. Example: Bursitis - inflammation of the fluid sac between the bones.

Answer 16

Burs(o)-

Question 17

Cancer. Example: carcinoma – a malignancy that develops from epithelial cells.

Answer 17

Carcin

Question 18

Of a pertaining to the heart. Example: cardiology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart.

Answer 18

Cardi-

Question 19

Of or pertaining to the wrist. Example: metacarpal – long bones, which connect your wrist to your fingers.

Answer 19

Carp-

Question 20

Of or pertaining to the head (as a whole). Example: hydrocephalus – a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid occurs within the brain.

Answer 20

Cephal(o)-

Question 21

Of our pertaining to the brain.

Answer 21

Cerebr(o)-

Question 22

Of or pertaining to the neck or cervix. Example: cervical vertebrae.

Answer 22

Cervic-

Question 23

Of or pertaining to bile. Example: cholecystitis - inflammation of the gallbladder.

Answer 23

Chol(e)-
Cholecyst(o)-

Question 24

Pertaining to the skin (cutaneous).

Answer 24

Cutan-

Question 25

Abnormal, difficult, or painful. Example dysphagia – difficulty swallowing.

Answer 25

Dys-

Question 26

Of or pertaining to the tongue. Example: glossology - scientific study of language.

Answer 26

Gloss(o)-
Glott(o)

Question 27

Of or pertaining to blood. Example hematology – study of diseases related to blood.

Answer 27

Hem-

Question 28

Of or pertaining to liver. Example: hepatitis – inflammation of the liver.

Answer 28

Hepat-

Question 29

Tissue. Example: histology – the study of microscopic anatomy of biological tissue.

Answer 29

Hist-

Question 30

Of or pertaining to the shoulder or the upper arm. Example, humorous – the long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow.

Answer 30

Humer-

Question 31

Extreme or beyond normal. Example: hypertension – high blood pressure.

Answer 31

Hyper-

Question 32

Below normal. Example: hypertension – low blood pressure.

Answer 32

Hypo-

Question 33

Below. Example: infrahyoid muscles – muscles in the frontal part of the neck.

Answer 33

Infra-

Question 34

Between, among.

Answer 34

Inter-

Question 35

Within.

Answer 35

Intra-

Question 36

Of or pertaining to the abdominal wall. Example laparotomy – a surgical procedure involving small incisions through the abdominal wall.

Answer 36

Laparo-

Question 37

Of or pertaining to the larynx, the lower throat cavity where the voice box is example laryngitis - inflammation of the larynx.

Answer 37

Laryng(o)

Question 38

Dissolution.

Answer 38

Lys(o)

Question 39

Large in size. Example: Macrocytosis - red blood cells that are larger than normal.

Answer 39

Macro-

Question 40

Enlargement.

Answer 40

Mega-
Megal(o)-

Question 41

Black or dark in color. Example: melanocyte – a mature melanin forming cell.

Answer 41

Melano-

Question 42

Middle.

Answer 42

Mes-

Question 43

After, beside, beyond or change. Example metacarpal bones.

Answer 43

Meta-

Question 44

Small in size. Example microscope – an instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

Answer 44

Micro-

Question 45

Muscle. Example: musculoskeletal system.

Answer 45

Muscul(o)-

Question 46

Of or relating to muscle.

Answer 46

My(o)-

Question 47

Of or relating to one marrow or the spinal cord. Example myeloblast a stem cell which differential into the effectors of the granulocyte series.

Answer 47

Myel(o)-

Question 48

Death. Example: necrosis - a form of cell injury, which results in the premature death of cells in living tissues, by autolysis.

Answer 48

Necr(o)-

Question 49

New.

Answer 49

Neo-

Question 50

Of or pertaining to the kidney. Example: nephrology – the study of the kidneys.

Answer 50

Nephr(o)-

Question 51

Of or pertaining to the nerves and the nervous system.

Answer 51

Neur-

Question 52

Pain.

Answer 52

Odyn-

Question 53

Having little; having a few. Example: oligotrophy - condition of having organisms that can live in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients.

Answer 53

Olig-

Question 54

Tumor, bulk, volume. Example oncology – branch of medicine that deals with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

Answer 54

Onco-

Question 55

Bone, bony. Example. Osseous - description of bone. Osteoarthritis – degenerative joint disease resulting from breakdown of cartilage and bone.

Answer 55

Ossi-
Osse-
Oste-
Osteo-

Question 56

Disease. Example; pathology – the study of the cause and effects of disease or injury.

Answer 56

Patho-

Question 57

Denoting something with a position surrounding or around another. Example periodontal – dentistry, that studies, supporting structures of the teeth (around the teeth).

Answer 57

Peri-

Question 58

Of or pertaining to the pharynx, the upper throat cavity. Example: pharyngitis – inflammation of the pharynx.

Answer 58

Pharyng-

Question 59

Many. Example: polyarthralgia - medical condition, where pain occurs in several joints of the body.

Answer 59

Poly-

Question 60

False or deceptive, usually in regard to appearance. Example: pseudocyst - a common complication of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Not a true cyst because the lining that compromises assist is not made up of true pancreatic cells, but rather the scar tissue form by surrounding organs when pancreatic fluid leaks during acute injury.

Answer 60

Pseudo-

Question 61

Itching. Example: psoriasis - auto immune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin.

Answer 61

Psor-

Question 62

Of or pertaining to the mind. Example psychology.

Answer 62

Psych-

Question 63

Fever.

Answer 63

Pyr-

Question 64

Behind or backward. Example: retroperitoneal - relating to the area behind the abdominal cavity, including: kidneys, bladder, portions of the duodenum, pancreas, and colon.

Answer 64

Retro-

Question 65

Of or pertaining to the nose. Example: rhinoplasty – plastic surgery that reconstruct and ultras the nose.

Answer 65

Rhin(o)

Question 66

Muscular, flashlight. Example sarcoma – a malignant tumor.

Answer 66

Sarco-

Question 67

Denoting something split” or “Double sided.” Example schizophrenia.

Answer 67

Schiz(o)-

Question 68

Hard. Example: scleroderma - thickening and hardening of the skin blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs.

Answer 68

Scler(o)-

Question 69

Twisted example: scoliosis – condition in which a person spine has a sideways curve.

Answer 69

Scolo(o)-

Question 70

Body, bodily. Example: somatic.

Answer 70

Somat(o)-
Somatico-

Question 71

Spleen. Example. Splenectomy - removal of the spleen.

Answer 71

Splen(o)-

Question 72

Of or pertaining to the spine, the vertebrae. Example spondylitis inflammation of the spine.

Answer 72

Spondyl(o)-

Question 73

Beneath, under. Example: subcutaneous tissue – lower most layer of the integumentary system.

Answer 73

Sub-

Question 74

In excess, above, superior.

Answer 74

Super-

Question 75

Above, excessive.

Answer 75

Supra-

Question 76

Denoting something as fast irregularly fast. Example: tachycardia – a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting heart rate.

Answer 76

Tachy-

Question 77

Treatment. Example: therapeutic.

Answer 77

Therap-

Question 78

Heat. Example: hypothermia.

Answer 78

Thermo-

Question 79

Of or pertaining to the upper chest, chest; the area above the breast, and under the neck. Example thoracic.

Answer 79

Thorac(i)-
Thorac(o)-
Thoracico-

Question 80

Of or relating to a blood clot, Claudina blood. Example thrombus – blood clot.

Answer 80

Thromb(o)-

Question 81

Lymph. Example: – Condition of swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system.

Answer 81

Lymph(o)-

Question 82

Thyroid.

Answer 82

Thyr(o)-

Question 83

Emotions. Example. Dysthymia - persistent depressive disorder.

Answer 83

Thym-

Question 84

Toxin, poison.

Answer 84

Tox-

Question 85

Eardrum.

Answer 85

Tympan(o)-