Prefixes Quiz - Medical Terminology Chapter 3

Study Notes

Medical Terminology - Prefixes

A prefix is a short word part added before a word root to modify its meaning.
Common prefix indicating "one" includes Uni-, as in unilateral (affecting one side).
Contra- indicates opposition, as in contralateral (opposite side).

Numeric Prefixes

Prim/i- signifies "first."
Mon/o and Uni- both translate to "one."
Hemi- means "half" or "one side."
Semi- also indicates "half" or "partial."
Bi- and Di- refer to "two" or "twice."
Dipl/o means "double."
Tri- denotes "three."
Quadr/i- and Tetra- each indicate "four."
Multi- signifies "many."
Poly- means "many" or "much."

Color Prefixes

Cyan/o- stands for "blue."
Erythr/o- signifies "red."
Leuk/o- indicates "white" or "colorless."
Melan/o- represents "black" or "dark."
Xanth/o- translates to "yellow."

Negative Prefixes

A-, An- means "not," "without," or "lack of."
Anti- signifies "against."
Contra- also means "against," "opposite," or "opposed."
De- indicates "down," "without," "removal," or "loss."
Dis- means "absence," "removal," or "separation."
In-, Im- (before b, m, p) indicates "not" or "lack of."
Non- means "not."
Un- also signifies "not."

Directional Prefixes

Ab- means "away from."
Ad- signifies "toward" or "near."
Dia-, Per-, Trans- all mean "through."

Degree Prefixes

Hyper- indicates "over," "excess," or "abnormally high."
Hypo- signifies "under," "below," or "abnormally low."
Olig/o- denotes "few" or "scanty."
Pan- means "all."

Size and Comparison Prefixes

Equi- signifies "equal" or "same."
Eu- means "true," "good," or "normal."
Hetero- translates to "other," "different," or "unequal."
Homo- and Homeo- both signify "same" or "unchanging."
Iso- means "equal" or "same."
Macro- indicates "large" or "abnormally large."
Mega- or Megalo- also means "large" or "abnormally large," but "Mega-" can refer to "1 million."
Micro- denotes "small," also meaning "1 millionth."
Neo- signifies "new."
Normo- stands for "normal."
Ortho- means "straight," "correct," or "upright."
Poikilo- indicates "varied" or "irregular."
Pseudo- translates to "false."
Re- signifies "again" or "back."

Time and Position Prefixes

Ante- means "before."

Description

Test your knowledge of prefixes in medical terminology with this flashcard quiz. Focus on how prefixes modify meanings in various contexts. Perfect for students looking to enhance their understanding of medical language.