Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) Practice Exam

Which prefix means "under" or "below" in medical terms?

1. Sub-

2. Hypo-

3. Epi-

4. Pre-

The correct answer is: Sub-

The prefix that signifies "under" or "below" in medical terminology is "Sub-." This prefix is commonly used in various medical terms to indicate a position that is lower than or beneath a reference point. For example, the term "subcutaneous" refers to the layer of tissue that lies beneath the skin. The use of "Sub-" captures the essence of being lower or underneath another structure. In contrast, "Hypo-" means "under" or "below" but is more specifically associated with conditions of deficiency or lower-than-normal levels, such as in "hypoglycemia," which means lower-than-normal blood sugar levels. "Epi-" denotes "upon" or "over," indicating a position that is above or upon another structure, as seen in "epidermis," which is the outermost layer of skin. "Pre-" means "before" in a temporal sense and is used in terms like "prenatal," referring to the period before birth.