Download PREFIXES

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Checks the vital
conditions of patients
on the road in the
ambulance.
Takes x-rays
Cleans people’s teeth
Treats patients who
have bone and muscle
injuries.
They dispense
medicine.
They plan special meal.
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A. Physical Therapist
B. Dietician
C. Paramedic
D. Radiologic
Technologist
E. Pharmacist
F. Dental Hygienist
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Home Care Nurse: visits homes to give
medical care to sick people.
Social Worker: gets monetary help from
public organizations.
Medical Record Keeper: classifies diseases
and keeps records.
Hospital Manager: runs a hospital.
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Words used in medicine are comprised of one
or more parts called:
Prefix: part of the word which comes before
the stem.
Stem: gives basic meaning to the word.
Suffix: part of the word which comes after the
stem .
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1. osteo
2. cardio
3. hemo/hemato
4. nephro
5. neuro
6. gastro
7. pulmo
8. hepato
9. myo
10. encephalo
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A. nerve
B. bone
C. lung
D. stomach
E. heart
F. blood
G. kidney
H. brain
I. liver
J. muscle
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The part of the word which comes before the
stem and modifies or augments the meaning
of the stem is called the prefix.
In the term unforgettable, "forget" is the stem
and "un" is the prefix.
The prefix is the part of the word which
comes before the stem.
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In the words implant, supplant, and
transplant, the prefixes are imp, sup and
trans.
You can change the meaning of a term by
putting a prefix before the stem.
Not every Greek or Latin word contains a
prefix .
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Words used in medicine are comprised of one
or more parts called prefix, stem, and suffix.
The part of the word which comes before the
stem and modifies or augments the meaning
of the stem is called the prefix.
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Prefixes may be divided into various
categories of meaning depending on how
they modify the stem, such as:
Location
Time
Amount
Color
Negation
Size
Position.
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The prefix intrameans inside or within.
The dash after intraindicates that the stem
comes after the prefix.
By combining the
prefix intra- with the
stem abdominal, you
know it means
inside/within the
abdomen.
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Endo- is also a
prefix meaning
within or inside.
Metro is the stem
meaning uterus.
Endometritisis:
means
inflammation
inside/within the
uterus.
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Peri- means around
or surrounding.
Cardio is the stem
for heart.
Pericarditis: means
inflammation
around or
surrounding the
heart.
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Ec- and ecto- mean
out and outside.
An ectopic
pregnancy, for
example, is a
pregnancy which
occurs outside the
uterine cavity.
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Retro- and postmean behind.
Retrocardial means
located behind the
heart .
Postnasal means
situated behind the
nose.
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The prefixes suband hypo- mean
under.
Subcutaneous
means under the
skin.
Hypodermic needle
is one that is
inserted under the
skin.
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Inter- meaning
between.
The stem, costal,
means ribs.
Therefore,
intercostal muscles
are muscles which
are between the
ribs.
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The prefixes anteand pre- mean
before.
By combining the
prefix ante with the
stem partum, you
know that
antepartum means
before childbirth.
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A preoperative
medication is a
medication which is
given before
surgery.
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The prefix postalso means after.
A postoperative
complication is a
complication which
occurred after
surgery.
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The prefixes a- oran mean without or
absence of.
Afebrile means
without/absence of
fever.
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The stem esthesia
means feeling.
Therefore,
anesthesia means
without feeling.
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The prefix antimeans against.
The term antitoxin
means against
toxin or poison.
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Uni and monomean one or single.
Monocyte refers to
a single cell.
A unicycle has one
wheel.
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Bi- is a prefix
indicating the
number two.
Bi-lateral, then,
refers to two sides.
A bicycle has two
wheels.
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The prefix for three
is tri.
Therefore, the valve
in the heart which
has three parts is
called the tricuspid
valve.
A tricycle has three
wheels.
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The prefix quadrimeans four.
A person with
quadriplegia has
paralysis in all four
limbs.
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The prefixes multiand poly- mean
many or much.
A person with
polyneuritis has
inflammation of
many nerves.
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The prefixes hemiand semi- mean
half.
A person with
hemiplegia has
paralysis on onehalf of the body.
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A person who is
semiconscious is
half conscious.
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The prefix hypoalso means too
little or low.
Therefore, a person
with hypotension
has low blood
pressure.
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Hyper- is a prefix
that means above
or high.
A person with
hypertension has
blood pressure
above the normal
or high blood
pressure.
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The prefix for fast
is tachy-.
A person with
tachycardia has an
abnormally fast
heartbeat.
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The prefix for slow
is brady-.
A person with
bradycardia has an
abnormally slow
heartbeat.
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The prefix for little
or scanty is oligo-.
The stem meaning
urine is -uria.
Therefore, oliguria
means little or
scanty urine.
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The prefix leukomeans white.
A leukocyte refers
to a white blood
cell.
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Erythro- is a prefix
meaning red.
An erythrocyte
refers to a red
blood cell.
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Cyano- is a prefix
meaning blue.
Cyanosis refers to a
blue/bluish
condition of the
skin.
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Melano- is a prefix
meaning dark or
black.
A melanoma is a
malignant or black
tumor.
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Micro- is a prefix
meaning small.
A cyte is a stem
meaning cell.
A microcyte is a
very small cell.
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A word indicating
smallness of heart
is microcardia.
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Macro- is a prefix
which means the
opposite of micro.
Macro- is used in
words to mean
large.
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Things that are
macroscopic can be
seen with the naked
eye.
Very large cells are
called macrocytes.
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Mega- is also a
prefix which means
large.
A megacolon is an
abnormally large
colon.
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Antero- is a prefix
meaning anterior
part or in front of.
Latero- is a prefix
meaning side.
Therefore,
anterolateral means
situated in front
and to one side.
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Dextro- is a prefix
which means to the
right.
Dextrocardia refers
to having the heart
on the right side of
the body.
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Levo- is a prefix
meaning to the left.
Levoversion is a
term which means
the act of turning to
the left.
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Medio- is a prefix
meaning middle.
The medial part of
the body pertains
to the middle
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Hydro- is a prefix
meaning water.
Hydrophobia, then,
means fear of
water.
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Dys- is a prefix
meaning difficult or
painful.
A patient with
dyspnea would be
experiencing
difficult or painful
breathing.
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Mal- is a prefix
meaning bad.
Malodorous means
having a bad odor.
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COLUMN A
1. HYPO
2. POLY
3. CYANO
4. INTER
5. PERI
6. DYS
7. TACHY
8. MONO
9. HYPER
COLUMN B
A.BETWEEN
B. LOW/UNDER
C.DIFFICULT/PAINFUL
D.FAST
E. AROUND/SURROUNDING
F. ONE
G.EXCESSIVE/TOO MUCH
H. MANY/MUCH
J. BLUE
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1. THE PREFIX "SUB" IN THE WORD SUBCUTANEOUS
MEANS:
A. OVER
C. UNDER
B. RIB
D. JOINT
2. THE PREFIX "BRADY" IN THE WORD
BRADYCARDIA MEANS:
A. FAST
C. LOW
B. SLOW
D. FEW
3. THE PREFIX "HYDRO" IN THE WORD
HYDROPHOBIA MEANS:
A. AIR
C. GAS
B. LIQUID
D. WATER
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4. THE PREFIX "A" IN THE WORD AFEBRILE MEANS:
A. WITHOUT
C. IN
B. WITHIN
D. AROUND
5. THE PREFIX "TACHY" IN THE WORD
TACHYCARDIA MEANS:
A. LOW
C. SLOW
B. FAST
D. FEW
6. THE PREFIX "ERYTHRO" IN THE WORD
ERYTHROCYTE MEANS:
A. BLUE
C. RED
B. WHITE
D. BLACK
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7. THE PREFIX "OLIGO" IN THE WORD
OLIGURIA MEANS:
A. FEW/SCANTY
C. SMALL
B. LARGE
D. MANY/MUCH
8. THE PREFIX "DEXTRO" IN THE WORD
DEXTROCARDIA MEANS:
A. RIGHT
C. MIDDLE
B. LEFT
D. SIDE
9. THE PREFIX “MEGA” IN THE WORD
MEGACOLON MEANS:
A. SMALL
C. HIGH
B. LOW
D. LARGE
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Wow! This hospital looks great. It is so big and
________.
Yes it is. I heard it has the latest medical
_________and technology.
I’m impressed. I’d love to work in a place like this.
You can apply here after you pass the nurse’s
______ exam.
You can apply here, too. Doctors and ______ aren’t
the only people who work in hospitals.
That’s true.
For instance, many lab ________ are needed to take
x-rays and to do MRIs and ultrasounds.
That’s right. I hadn’t even thought of that.
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Let’s go to that place where it says “________ Area”.
What’s going on there?
I think it is a ______ laboratory where important
studies in medicine are being conducted.
So many ______ are needed in the hospital.
That’s true. However, there are people whose service
is taken for granted.
For example?
Some of them are ambulance drivers who transport
sick people to the emergency room or the ________
who monitor patient’s condition inside the
ambulance.
Wow! The hospital has a diverse number of workers.