Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (hepat-)

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.

hepat-/hepato [hēpat-] - from Greek - having to do with the liver

The liver is a vital organ with a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, nutrient storage and many more.

It is estimated that a liver carries out about 1500 biochemical functions. 

Remember that when you feel you're too busy :-)

Image modified from Hill's Pet Nutrition, Atlas of Veterinary Clinical Anatomy

It is no wonder that very little happens in the body which wouldn't affect the liver, and very little happens which wouldn't depend on its proper function.

Hepatitis, means inflammation of the liver. Again, as with any other -itis, it is simply descriptive of the situation and doesn't indicate anything about the cause, which could be an infection, toxins, parasites, drugs or even genetic factors.

Hepatotoxin means a substance toxic to the liver.

Hepatoma means a liver tumor. Hepatomegaly stands for an enlarged liver. Hepatic encephalopathy is a disease of the brain, resulting from accumulation of harmful waste products in the blood resulting from liver disease.

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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-)