Download Combining Forms Used as Prefixes

Combining Forms Used as Prefixes
PREFIX
MEANING
a, an
not, without lack of
ab
able
acet(o)
actino
ad
adeno
aer(o)
-al
albo
algia
ambi,
ameb
amphi
ampho
amyl, amylo
ana
angio
anti
aqua, aque
archae
arterio
arthro
asco
ase
audi, audio
aur
auto
ax , axio
azo, azoto
baciil, bacilli
bacter(i)
basidi, basidio
bdell
bi
away from
capable of
pertaining to acetic acid
ray
to, toward, near to
gland
air
add to noun to make adjective
white
pain
both
change
around
before, forward
starch
up
vessel
against
water
primitive
artery
joints
sac, bag
enzyme
hear, hearing
gold
arising from self
axis
presence of nitrogen
small staff, rod
denoting bacteria
base, small pedestal
leech
twice, double
bio
biota
blast
bovi
brady
broncho
calc, calco
calori
capit
carb, carbo
carcin, carcino
cardi, cardio
carpo
life
living organisms
bud, formative cell
cattle
slow
bronchus
calcium
heat
head
having carbon or carboxyl
pertaining to cancer
heart
wrist
EXAMPLE
avirulent (lacking virulence)
apathy (lack of feeling)
abductor (leading away from)
viable (having the ability to live)
Acetobacter (bacteria that make acetic acid)
actinomycetes (bacteria with star shaped colonies)
adhesion (sticking to)
adenopathy (diseased gland)
aerobic (uses air)
neural (referring to nerve)
Streptomyces albus (produces white colonies)
neuralgia
ambidextrous (ability to use hands equally)
amoeboid (movement involving change)
amphitrichous (tuft of flagella)
antecubital (below elbow)
amylase (enzyme that breaks down starch)
anabolism (building up)
angiogenesis (formation of a new blood vessel)
antisepsis (against infection)
aquatic
Achaea(primitivelike bacteria)
arthropod (invertebrates with jointed appendages)
ascospore
penicillinase (enzyme that breaks down penicillin)
audiometer
Staphylococcus aureus (has gold colored colonies)
autotroph (selffeeders); autolysis
axial filament (periplasmic flagella of spirochetes)
Azotobacter (bacteria that fix nitrogen)
bacillus (rodshaped bacteria)
bacteremia (bacteria in the blood)
basidiomycete basidium (cells that bears spores)
Bdellovibrio (a predatory bacterium)
bifocal (two foci)
binocular scope (microscope with two ocular lenses)
biomass (living matter)
microbiota
blastospore (spores formed by budding)
Mycobacterium bovis (bacterium found in cattle)
bradycardia
bronchospasm (asthmatic contraction of bronchi)
calcified
calories
capitate (removal of one's head)
carbohydrate
carcinoma
carditis (inflammation of heart)
metacarpals (bones of the wrist)
cata
cau, caus
cauli, caulo
cavus
cellul, cellulo
centesis
centi
cephalo
cerebello
cerebro
chole
chondro
chrome
chromo
-cide
-cious
cilia
circum
co, corn, con
cocco
contra
coryne
cranio
cry, cryo
cyan,cyano
cysto
cyt, cyto, cyte
down
burn
stalk
hollow
cell or cellular
puncture
hundred or hundredth
head
cerebellum
cerebrum
bile
cartilage
pigment
color
killing
add to noun to make adjective
hair
around, about
together
grain, berry
against
club
head
cold
blue
sac, cyst, bladder
cell
de
dento or donto
derma(to)
desulfo, desulfuro
di, diplo
down, from
tooth
skin
reducing sulfur compounds
two, double
dia
across, completely
dis
duodeno
dys
ec
ecto
edem
em, en
emia
apart from, separation
duodenum
difficult, disordered bad
out from
on outer side outside
swell
in
blood
encephalo
endo
brain
within
-ent
enter, entero
add to verb to make adjective
intestine
epi
upon on
erythro
red
catabolism (breaking down)
caustic
Caulobacter (stalked bacteria)
cavity
cellulolytic
thoracentesis
centimeter (1/100th of a meter)
Choleocystitis (inflammation of the bile duct)
cytochrome
chromophore (colored part of a dye)
fungicide (kills fungus)
precocious (referring to precocial young)
circumflex (winding about)
coenzyme
cocci (berryshaped bacteria)
contraindicated (not indicated)
Corynebacterium (clubshaped bacteria)
cryobiology cryoglobulin
cyanobacteria (bluegreen "algae")
cytoplasm (fluid portion of cell)
leukocytes (white blood cell)
dehydrate (remove water)
dermatophyte (fungus parasitic to skin)
Desulfovibrio (anaerobic sulfate reducers)
dimorphic (occurring in two forms)
diploid (two sets of genes)
diagnosis (complete knowledge)
dialysis
disinfection (apart from infection)
dyspnea (difficult breathing) dysplasia
eccentric (away from center)
ectoderm (outer skin) ectogenous (outside the host)
edema
empyema (pus in)
viremia (viruses in the blood)
leukemia (cancer of white blood cells)
encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
endogenous (growing in the host)
endocardium (within heart)
recipient (one who receives)
enteric bacteria (bacteria that live in the gut)
enterotoxin (toxin specific for intestines)
Staphylococcus epidermis (lives on the skin)
epidermis (upon the dermis)
erythromycin (antibiotic that may cause a red rash)
eu
eu
well, good
normal, true
exo, extra
outside
fascia
fibrin, fibrino
fibro
fiss
flav, flavo
fusi, fuso
gastro
geno, genesis
sheet or band of fibrous tissue
pertaining to fibrin
fibers
split
yellow
spindle
stomach
origin
gingiv, gingivo
glomerulo
glosso
glyc, glyco
gums
glomerulus
tongue
sweet, sugar
gony
gravis
halo
haplo
hem(a,o), hemato
hepat, hepato
heter(o)
hist, histo
holo
hom, homo
hydro
hyp, hypo
offspring, reproduction
heavy
salt, saltwater
single
blood
liver
different, other
tissue
complete
like, similar
wet, water
under, deficiency, below
hyper
excessive, above normal
hystero
ia(sis)
uterus
abnormal or disease condition
iatro, iatr
ileo
ilio
immun
infra
inter
intra, intro
treat
ileium (part of small intestine)
ilium (bone of the pelvis)
resistance
below
between
into, within
-ism
iso
-ist
itis
jejuno
kary, karyo
kin, kine, kino
condition or disease
same, equal
add to verb to express person
inflammation
jejunum
nucleus, nuclear
action or motion move
erythrocytes (red blood cells)
euphoria
euphoria
eukaryotes (have a true nuclei)
extracellular (outside cell)
exoenzyme
exotoxin (toxin released outside of cell)
fibrinogen
fissure
flavoprotein (a yellow colored protein)
Fusobacterium (spindleshaped bacteria)
gastrotoxin (toxins that effect the stomach)
pathogenesis (cause or origin of a disease)
biogenesis (origin of life)
gingivitis (disease of gums)
glycolysis (break down of sugar)
glycogen (or form of stored sugar)
sporogony (a type of reproduction)
gravid
halophile (salt loving microbes)
haploid (one set of genes)
hemoglobin (protein found in red blood cells)
Hepatitis B virus (a virus that infects the liver)
heterotroph (eats other organisms)
histology
holoenzyme
homologous; homozygous (same genes)
hydrophobic (nonpolar "water fearing" compounds)
hypotonic hypotension (low blood pressure)
hypotension (low blood pressure)
hypertonic (comparatively more salt)
hyperplasia (excessive tissue formation)
anemia (abnormally low hemoglobin)
giardiasis (disease caused by Giardia)
geriatrics
immune (resistant to a disease)
infraorbital (below eye)
intercellular intercostal (between ribs)
intracellular (within cells)
itracerebral (within cerebrum)
parasitism (disease due to a parasite)
isotonic (same solute concentrations)
pathologist (one who practices studies pathology)
dermatitis (inflammation of the skin)
karyogamy (fusion of nuclei)
cytokinesis (movement of cells)
kinetics (study of molecular movement)
kinetochore (moves chromosomes)
laparo
larynogo
lepto
leuco, leuko
lip, lipo
lith, litho
logy
loin, flank, abdomen
larynx
thin or narrow
white
relating to fats (lipids)
stone, mineral
field of study
lymph, lympho
lysis
lymphatic system
breaking up, dissolving
macro
large
malaco
malus
masto
medius
mega(lo)
soft
bad
breast
middle
great, huge
meningo
meso
meta
metry
micro
milli
monas
mono
morph, morpho
multi
mycet, myco
meninges
middle
beyond, after, change
measurement
small
onethousandth
unit
one, single
form
many, much
fungus
mycin
myelo
myo
nano
naso
necro
substance from fungus
bone marrow; also spinal cord
muscle
onebillionth part of (109)
nose
dead
nema, neme
neo
nephro
neuro
nitro
nitroso
noso
nucle, nucleo
oculo
-oid
ole, ola
olfact
olig, oligo
threadlike
new
kidney
nerve
nitrous, producing nitrate
nitrous, producing nitrite
disease
nucleus, nuclear
eye
resembling
small
smell
few, deficiency
laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx)
leptospira
leucocyte (white blood cell)
lipase (enzyme that degrades lipids)
lithotrophs (bacteria that oxidize inorganics)
bacteriology (scientific study of bacteria)
microbiology (study of microbes)
lymphocyte
glycolysis (splitting of sugars)
hemolysis (rupturing red blood cells)
plasmolysis (splitting the cell membrane from wall)
macroscopic (can see without a microscope)
macrophage (large white blood cell)
osteomalacia
malady, malaise
median, medial
megakaryocyte
megalokaryocyte
menigitis (inflammation of the meninges)
mesophilic (optimum growth at mild temperatures)
metastasis (beyond original position)
symmetry
microorganism (organisms to small to be seen)
millimeter (1/1000th of a milliter)
Pseudomonas (false unit of bacteria)
monotrichous (one flagella)
morphology (scientific study of structures / form)
multinuclear
mycotic
actinomyces (bacteria that resemble molds)
streptomycin (antibiotic from fungus like bacteria
manometer (1/1,000,000,000th of a meter)
necrosis
necropsy
treponema
neonatal, neoplasm
nephritis (inflammation of nephrons)
Nitrobacter (oxidizes nitrites to nitrates)
nitrosomonas
nosocomial (disease acquired in hospitals / clinics)
nucleoid (region in bacteria where DNA is located)
lymphoid
vacuole
olfactophobia
oligosaccharide (chain of 3 9 monosaccharides)
oma
onco
op(tp), ophthalmo
-or
oro
os
ose
osis
ost, oste, osteo
-otic
oto
-ous
tumor
pertaining to tumors
see, eye
add to verb to express person
mouth
bone or mouth
sugar
process or condition
bone
causing a condition
ear
having, pertaining to
oxy, oxi
pan
par, partus
para
path, patho
pathy
penia
pep
per
peri
oxygen
all, many
labor
alongside, beside, near to
disease
denoting disease
deficiency
digest
through
about, around
phag(e), phago
eat
pharyngo
phas
phil(ic)
pharynx
speak, utter
like, love, loving
phlebo
phobia, phobic
vein
fear
phore
photo
bearer of
light
phrax, phrag
phyte
pico
piokilo
plas
platy
plegia
pleo
pleur, pleuro
pne, pneo
pneumo
pod, ped
poie
poly
post
pre
fence off
plant
onetrillionth part of (1011)
varied
form, grow
flat
paralyze
more, multiple
membrane of lung
breathe
pulmonary
foot, leg
make
many, much
after, behind
before
carcinoma
oncogenesis (tumor formation)
optics
donor (one who donates)
oropharynx
lactose (a type of sugar)
leucocytosis (condition of too many leukocytes)
osteomyelitis
mycotic
filamentous
serous (composed of serum)
mucinous (composed to mucin)
peroxidase (breaks down toxic form of oxygen)
pandemic (worldwide disease)
postpartum
paratyphoid parathyroid (beside the thyroid)
pathogen (causes a disease)
cytopathy
leukopenia (too few leukocytes)
pepsin
permeate (pass through)
peritrichous (flagella around the whole cell)
periosteum (around bone)
phagocytosis (uptake of foreign matters by a cell)
bacteriophage
dysphasia
eosinophilic
lipophilic (loves fats)
hydrophilic (water loving)
photophobia
hydrophobia (fear of water)
conidiophore
phototrophs (get energy from light)
photosynthesis (uses light energy to make food)
diaphragm
saprophyte
picogram
poikilocytosis
neoplasm
platyhelminths (flat worms)
paraplegia
pleomorphic (has many shapes)
pleuritis (inflammation of lung's membranes)
dyspnea
Pneumococcus (bacteria found in the lungs)
pseudopod (false foot)
hematopoiesis (formation of erythrocytes)
polysaccharide (contains many sugars)
postnatal postoperative (after operation)
prognosis (foreknowledge)precursor
pro, proto
before
procto
pseudo
rectum
false
psychr, , psychro
pyelo
pyloro
pyo
cold
pelvis of kidney
pylorus (of stomach)
pus
re
back, again
retro
backward
rhino
rhiz, rhizo
nose
root
rrhage, rrhagia
rrhea
sacchar, saccharo
excessive discharge
discharge
sugar
sapro
schiz
rotten, putrid
split
sclero
scolio
scope, scopy
hard
twisted, crooked
instrument for examining
semi
septic
stasis
half
putrefaction, infection
stop, inhibition of growth
steno
sterno
stoma
sub
narrow
sternum
mouth
under, below
super
supra
sym, syn
above, excessive
above, upon
with, together
tachy
tax, taxi, taxo
taxia, taxis
therap
thermo
fast
arrangement
orientation
treat, cure
heat, warm
thi, thio
thoraco
thrix
thyro
-tic
tome, tomy
presence of sulfur
thorax or chest
hair
thyroid
add to noun to make adjective
cutting, cut, incise
protozoa (before animals)
prokaryotic (evolved before the nucleus)
Pseudomonas (a false group of bacteria)
pseudopod
psychrophile (optimum growth below 20C)
Heliobacter pylori (lives in the stomach)
pyogenic
Streptococcus pyogenes (causes pus)
relapse (return again)
Borrelia recurrentis (causes relapsing fever)
retrovirus (goes from RNA to DNA)
retrograde (going backward)
Rhinovirus (causes common cold)
Rhizobium (N2 fixers that live in plant roots)
rhizoid
hemorrhage
gonorrhea (causes discharge from the urethra
saccharolytic (break down of sugar)
saccharophilic (sugar loving bacteria)
saprophyte
schizogony (splitting to form many cells)
schizophrenia
scleroderma
scoliosis
microscope (used to study microbes)
endoscope
semiconscious (half conscious)
antiseptic (used to prevent infection)
bacteriostasis (prevent bacteria from growing)
hemostasis
stenosis
submicroscopic (below resolution of microscope)
subcutaneous subcutaneous (under skin)
supernatant (situated above)
suprasternal (above sternum)
synapsis (joining together)
symbiosis (living together)
tachycardia
taxonomy (grouping organisms together)
chemotaxis
chemotheraphy (use of chemicals to treat disease)
thermophilic (grow at warm temperatures)
thermolabile
Thiobacillus (sulfuroxidizing bacteria)
streptothrix
neoplastic (referring to neoplasm)
microtome
phlebotomy
tox, toxi, toxo
tracheo
trans
poison, toxic
trachea
across, through
trich, tricho
tropho, trophic
hair, filament
nourish
-tropic
-ty
ultra
uretero
urethro
uria
uro
utero
vas, vasi, vaso
veno
ventriculo
viscero
zoo
zygo
zym, zymo, zyme
having an affinity for
state or condition
beyond, in
ureter
urethra
pertaining to urine
urine; urinary
uterus
pertaining to blood vessels
vein
ventricle of heart or brain
viscera (internal organs)
living
joined together
ferment, enzyme
toxemia (toxins in the blood)
transection (cut across)
transduction (pick of DNA across the membrane)
trichome
dystrophy
trophozoite (feeding stage of some protozoa)
autotroph (self nourishing)
dermatotropic
immunity (the state of being immune to a disease
ultraviolet (beyond violet end of spectrum)
albuminuria
vascular (provided with vessels)
zoology
zygote (union of egg and sperm)
zymogen