Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (epi-)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed in the same way. Just like with other words, the main parts of a veterinary term are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically come more directly from Greek or Latin.

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning by providing additional information. It usually indicates number, location, time, or status.

epi- [ˈɛpi] - from Greek - on, above, over

This prefix one also has an opposite meaning to endo-. As and example, we could compare endothelium versus epithelium. Both are the tissue that lines organ surfaces. Endothelium is a thin layer of cells that lines various organs and cavities inside the body, particularly blood vessels and heart, while epithelium, which you might be more familiar with, covers the outside of skin or mucous membranes  or hollow organs.

Epidermis is a familiar term; means the outside layer of skin.

Epicardium is the outside layer of the heart. Epistaxis stands for nose bleeds. Epithelialization regeneration of epithelium, in other words, it grows back where it's been lost.

The word epinephrine is quite interesting, because it's put together from the epi- prefix, followed by word that stands for kidneys--nephron-- and a chemical suffix. So it is descriptive of a substance that comes from above kidneys, in other words, from the adrenal glands.

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Related articles:

Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)
Veterinary Suffixes (-oma) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-pathy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-osis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-iasis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-tomy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-ectomy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-scopy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-emia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-penia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-rrhea) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-cyte) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-blast) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-opsy)
Veterinary Suffixes (-ac/-al)

Veterinary Prefixes (hyper-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hypo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (pyo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myelo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (spondylo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (cardio-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (cervic-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (osteo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (fibro-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (broncho-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hemo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (brady-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (tachy-)
Veterinary Prefixes (hepat-)
Veterinary Prefixes (gastr-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (laryng-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (anti-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (endo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (exo-)