Biology Prefixes P-Q

pachy- [from Greek pachys thick, stout] Thick (pachytene).

paed- or paedo- or paid- or paido- [from Greek paidon young child] Denotes children (or young organisms of any kind) (paedogenesis). See ped(o)-.

paleo- (American spelling. British spelling is palaeo-) [from Greek palaios old, ancient] Old, ancient (Paleocene).

paludi- [from Latin paludis swamp, marsh] Swamp, marsh (paludicolous).

pan- or pant- or panto- [Greek prefix pan-, pant- all-] All, entire (panspermia, panmixia).

papill- or papilli- or papillo- [from Latin papilla nipple, teat, dug] Denotes a papilla (papillectomy, papillate).

papul- or papulo- [from Latin papilla papule, pustule] Papule or a papula (papular, papuliferous).

par- or para- [Greek prefix para- beside, past, beyond, along, near, by, from, together] Near, beyond, outside of, abnormal, alongside, by, from, together (paracentric inversion).

path- or patho- [from Greek pathe suffering, misfortune] Disease, suffering (pathology, pathogen).

ped- or pedo- (American spelling. British spelling is paed-) [from Greek paidon young child] Denotes children (or young organisms of any kind) (pediatrics).

ped- or pedi- or pedo- [from Latin pes, pedis foot] Foot, feet, relating to feet (pedipalp, peduncle).

pel- or pelo- [from Greek pelos clay, mud, mire] Of, involving, or pertaining to clay or mud (Pelomyxa).

pelvi- or pelvio- or pelvo- [from Latin pelvis shallow basin] Denotes the pelvis (pelvic opening).

pen- or peo- [from Latin penis penis] Denotes the penis (penitis, peotomy).

per- [Latin per through, during, by] Through, during (perfusion).

peri- [Greek peri round about, around, all around] All around, about, enclosing, surrounding (pericentric inversion).

peta- [prefix in International System of Units] 10¹⁵ (petaFLOPS).

petr- or petri- or petro- [from Latin petra rock, boulder, stone] (1) denotes stone (petrifaction); (2) referring to the petrous portion of the mastoid (petrosphenoid).

phac- or phaco- [from Greek phakos lentil, anything shaped like a lentil -- hence the sense of lens] (1) denotes the lens of the eye (phacosclerosis, phacoeresis); (2) lentil, lentil-shaped (phacolith).

phag- or phago- [from Greek phagein to eat] Eating, feeding, ingesting, engulfing (phagocytyosis).

phak- or phako- Alternate spellings of phac(o)-.

phall- or phallo- [from Greek phallos penis] Denotes the penis (phallodynia, phallorrhagia).

phaner- or phanero- [from Greek phaneros visible, manifest] Visible, evident, manifest (Phanerozoic Eon).

pharmac- or pharmaco- [from Greek pharmakon drug, medicine, potion, poison] Denotes drug(s) or medication(s) (pharmacography).

phil- or philo- [from Greek phileo to love, regard with affection] Enjoying, loving, attracted to, requiring (philoneism).

phleb- or phlebo- [from Greek phleps blood vessel (vein or artery)] Vein (phlebitis, phleboclysis).

phon- or phono- [from Greek phonema sound, utterance] Sound, utterance (phonic, phonocardiography).

phot- or photo- [from Greek photiso shine, give light] Denotes light (photesthesis, phototaxis).

phren- or phreno- or phrenic- or phrenico- [from Greek phren mind] (1) mind, brain (phrenosin); (2) diaphragm (phrenocolopexy, phrenicoexalresis).

phylacto- [from Greek phylakeia guard, protection] Protective (phylactocarp).

phyllo- [from Greek phyllon leaf] Denotes leaf (Phyllopoda).

phys- or physo- [from Greek physa bellows] Denotes distention with gas (physometra).

phyt- or phyto- [from Greek phyton plant] Plant (phytohormone, phytophagous, phytoplankton).

pico- [derivation uncertain, perhaps from Italian piccolo small] One trillionth (10^-12) (picogram).

picr- or picro- [from Greek pikros bitter] Bitter (picrotoxin).

pili- or pilo- [from Latin pilus hair] Denotes hair (piliform, pilocystic, pilose).

pithec- [from Greek pithekos ape, monkey] Ape (Pithecanthropus).

plasm- or plasmo- [from Greek plasm anything formed or molded] Plasma, cytoplasm, protoplasm (plasmolysis).

platy- [from Greek platys flat, level] Flat (Platyhelminthes).

pleur- or pleuro- [from Greek pleura rib, side] Relating to the pleura (pleural).

plur- [from Latin plus, pluris more, too much] More (pluridyscrina).

pneo- [from Greek pneo to breathe] Breath (pneograph).

pneu- or pneum- or pneumo- [from Greek pneumon lung and pneo to breathe] Relating to air or the lungs (pneumonia)

pod- or podo- [from Greek pous, podos, podi, poa foot] (1) foot, hoof; of or relating to feet or hooves (pododynia); (2) stalk (Podocarpus).

poecil- or poecilo- or poikil- or poikilo- [from Greek poikilos spotted, varied, changeable] Varying, variegated (poikilothermy).

poli- or polio- [from Greek polios gray] (1) gray (poliosis); (2) relating to the gray matter of the nervous system (poliomyelitis).

poly- [from Greek poly- many, much, too much, excessive] (1) many, much, multiple (polymorphonuclear, polyploidy); (2) increased, excessive (polyphagia, polyuria).

post- [Latin post behind, after, afterwards] After, behind (postpartum).

pre- [from Latin prae before, in front of, forward] In front of, anterior to (precocial, premolar).

pro- [Latin pro- before, beforehand] Before, earlier than, preceding (proamnion, procercoid, Promammalia).

pro- [from Latin pro on behalf of, for] Favoring, supporting, preceding (progesterone).

prot- or proto- or proter- or protero- [from Greek proto- first (in time)] (1) first in temporal order (protoblast, Proterozoic); (2) archetypal (protomorph).

pseud- or pseudo- [from Greek pseudo- false] False (pseudoesthesia).

psych- or psycho- [from Greek psyche life, spirit, soul, mind, consciousness] The mind (psychokinesis).

psychro- [from Greek psychros cold] Cold (psychrophilous).

pter- or ptero- [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] Feather, wing (pterodactyl).

pterid- or pterido- [from Greek pteris fern] Fern (pteridophytes).

pteryg- or pterygo- [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] (1) wing (Pterygodium); (2) pterygoid (pterygomalar).

ptil- or ptilo- [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] Feather (ptilopod).

ptyal- or ptyalo- [from Greek ptyalon sputum, saliva] Saliva (ptyalagogue).

pubio- or pubo- [from Latin pubescere to reach physical maturity, grow body hair] Denotes pubic hair, pubic bone, or pubic region (puboprostatic).

puli- [from Latin pulex, pulicis flea] Fleas (pulicide).

pulmo- or pulmon- [from Latin pulmo, pulmonis lung] Denotes lung (pulmometer).

pur- or puro- [from Latin pus, puris pus] Pus (purohepatitis).

py- or pyo- [from Greek pyon pus] Pus (pyorrhea).

pycno- or pykno- [from Greek pyknos close, compact, narrow, constricted] Compact, dense, thick (pyknometer).

pyel- or pyelo- [from Greek pyelos tub, vat, trough] Denotes the pelvis renalis (pyelolithotomy).

pyg- or pygo- [from Greek pyge rump, buttocks] Denotes the nates (pygopagus).

pyle- or pylo- [from Greek pyle orifice] Orifice (pylometer).

pylor- or pyloro- [from Greek pyloros gatekeeper] Pertaining to the pylorus (pylorostenosis).

pyr- or pyro- [from Greek pyr fire] Fire, heat (pyropuncture).

quadr- or quadri- or quadru- [Latin quadr- four- from quattuor four] Four, having four parts (quadriplegia).

quinqu- or quinque- or quint- or quinti- [from Latin quinque, quintus five] Five, having five parts (quintuplet).