Here is the list of commonly used medical prefixes which is definitely gonna help you in understanding the terms used by medical professionals especially in prescriptions given by doctors or pharmacists as well as many prefixes are used along with the medical abbreviations in the Investigation Forms that has to be performed in the diagnostic laboratories….
| PREFIXES | MEANING |
|---|---|
| A- | Without, lack of |
| Ab- | Away from |
| Abdomin- | Abdomen |
| Acro- | Pertaining to an extremity |
| Ad- | To, Toward |
| Adeno- | Pertaining to a gland |
| An- | Without, Lack of |
| Ana- | Up, Back, Again |
| Angio- | Vessel |
| Ante- | Before, Forward |
| Anti- | Against, Opposed to |
| Arterio- | Artery |
| Arthro- | Pertaining to a joint |
| Auto- | Self |
| Bi- | Two |
| Bio- | Pertaining to life |
| Blasto- | Germ or Cell |
| Blephar(o)- | Pertaining to an eyelid |
| Brady- | Slow |
| Calc- | Stone; also Heel |
| Cardio- | Pertaining to the heart |
| Cephalo- | Pertaining to the head |
| Cerebro- | Pertaining to the Cerebrum, A part of the Brain |
| Cervico- | Pertaining to the Neck or the Uterine Cervix |
| Chole- | Pertaining to Bile |
| Chondro- | Pertaining to Cartilage |
| Circum- | Around, About |
| Contra- | Against, Opposite |
| Costo- | Pertaining to a Rib |
| Cyano- | Blue |
| Cysto- | Pertaining to the Bladder or any fluid - containing Sac |
| Cyto- | Pertaining to a Cell |
| De- | Down from |
| Dermato- | Pertaining to the Skin |
| Di- | Twice, Double |
| Dia- | Thorough, Completely |
| Dys- | Difficult, Painful, Abnormal |
| Ecto- | Out from |
| Electro- | Pertaining to Electricity |
| Endo- | Within |
| Entero- | Pertaining to the Intestines |
| Epi- | Upon, On |
| Erythro- | Pertaining to anything Red or to Erythrocytes (red blood cells) |
| Eu- | Easy, Good, Normal |
| Exo- | Outside |
| Extra- | Outside, In addition |
| Gastro- | Pertaining to the Stomach |
| Glyco- | Sugar |
| Gyneco- | Pertaining to Females or the Female Reproductive Organs |
| Hemato- | Pertaining to Blood |
| Hemi- | Half |
| Hemo- | Pertaining to Blood |
| Hepato- | Pertaining to the Liver |
| Heter- | Other, Different |
| Hom- | Same or Like |
| Hydro- | Water |
| Hyper- | Over, Excessive |
| Hypo- | Under, Deficient |
| Hystero- | Pertaining to the Uterus |
| Infra- | Below |
| Inter- | Between |
| Intra- | Within |
| Iso- | Equal |
| Latero- | Side |
| Leuko- | Pertaining to anything white or to leukocytes (white blood cells) |
| Litho- | Pertaining to a Stone |
| Macro- | Large |
| Mal- | Bad or Abnormal |
| Medi- | Middle |
| Mega- | Large |
| Melan- | Black |
| Meningo- | Pertaining to a membrane, particularly the Meninges |
| Micro- | Small |
| Mono- | One |
| Myelo- | Pertaining to the spinal cord, the bone marrow, or Myelin |
| Myo- | Pertaining to Muscle |
| Naso- | Pertaining to the Nose |
| Neo- | New |
| Nephro- | Pertaining to the Kidney |
| Neuro- | Pertaining to a Nerve or the Nervous System |
| Noct- | Night |
| Oligo- | Little, Deficient |
| Oophoro- | Pertaining to the Ovary |
| Ophthalmo- | Pertaining to the Eye |
| Orchido- | Pertaining to the Testicles |
| Orchio- | Pertaining to the Testicles |
| Oro- | Pertaining to the Mouth |
| Ortho- | Straight or Normal |
| Osteo- | Pertaining to Bone |
| Oto- | Pertaining to the Ear |
| Para- | By the side of |
| Patho- | Pertaining to Disease |
| Per- | Through |
| Peri- | Around |
| Phago- | Pertaining to Eating, Ingesting, or Engulfing |
| Pharyngo- | Pertaining to the Throat, or Pharynx |
| Phlebo- | Pertaining to a Vein |
| Pneumo- | Pertaining to Respiration, the Lungs, or Air |
| Poly- | Many |
| Post- | After, Behind |
| Pre- | Before |
| Pro- | Before, In front of |
| Procto- | Pertaining to the Rectum |
| Pseudo- | False |
| Psycho- | Pertaining to the Mind |
| Pulmo- | Pertaining to the Lung |
| Pur- | Pertaining to Pus |
| Pyelo- | Pertaining to the Kidney or Pelvis |
| Pyo- | Pertaining to Pus |
| Quadri- | Four |
| Quar- | Four |
| Quat- | Four |
| Retro- | Backward or Behind |
| Rhino- | Pertaining to the Nose |
| Salpingo- | Pertaining to a Tube |
| Sclero- | Hard; also means Pertaining to the Sclera |
| Semi- | Half or Partial |
| Sub- | Under, Moderately |
| Super- | Above, Excessive, or More than Normal |
| Supra- | Above |
| Tachy- | Fast |
| Therm- | Pertaining to Temperature |
| Thoraco- | Pertaining to the Chest |
| Trans- | Across |
| Tri- | Three |
| Uni- | One |
| Vaso- | Vessel |
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