Dean Vaughn 9 Flashcards: Medical Terminology

Medical Prefixes and Their Meanings

• Tarso- refers to the framework of the eyelid, an essential structure for eye protection and function.
• Cheir- / chir- signifies "hand," indicating terms related to hand anatomy or function.
• Calc- means "heal" or "stone," often used in contexts involving bone health or calcification.
• Cine- translates to "move," commonly appearing in terms related to movement or motion.
• Digit denotes "finger" or "toe," referring to digits on the extremities.
• Dors- relates to the "back," indicating various structures and conditions associated with the dorsal side.
• Gangli- signifies "swelling," often linked to ganglia or clusters of nerve cell bodies.
• Gemin- denotes "twin" or "double," frequently used in genetics or anatomy to describe pairs.
• Grad- means "walk" or "take steps," appearing in terms pertaining to movement or progression.
• Gran- refers to "grain" or "particle," often utilized in biological contexts regarding cellular or structural composition.
• Labi- indicates "lip," used in terms related to oral anatomy or structures.
• Micr- means "small," frequently used in scientific contexts to describe microscopic entities.
• Peps- / pept- signifies "digest," commonly found in terms related to digestion and digestive enzymes.
• Pleur- relates to "pleura," "rib," or "side," significant in respiratory and thoracic anatomy.
• Mamm- refers to "breast," often associated with mammary glands or breast-related conditions.
• Colla- means "glue" or "gelatin-like," relevant in discussions of connective tissues or cellular adhesion.
• Later- indicates "side," often used in anatomical positioning and descriptions.
• Rachi- signifies "spinal column," critical for discussions about the vertebral structure and nervous system.
• Phob- denotes "fear," commonly used in psychological terms relating to anxiety disorders.
• Phot- means "light," frequently used in contexts concerning vision, photography, or light-related phenomena.
• Dys- translates to "bad," often appearing in medical terminologies describing dysfunctional conditions.
• Cut- refers to "skin," significant in dermatology and terms related to skin conditions.
• En- means "in," often used to describe internal structures or processes.
• Peri- signifies "around," indicating structures or organs that encircle another.
• Pro- means "in front of" or "before," commonly used in positioning terms within anatomy.