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What does ana- mean in medical terms?
ana-
Meaning: up, back, again, upward
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what ana- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using ana-
anabolism
ana- (up, building up) + bol (change) + ism (process) = the building up of substances in the body
ana- (up, building up) + bol (change) + ism (process) = the building up of substances in the body
anatomy
ana- (up) + tomy (cutting) = the study of body structure, originally by cutting up
ana- (up) + tomy (cutting) = the study of body structure, originally by cutting up
anaphylaxis
ana- (against, back) + phylaxis (protection) = a severe allergic reaction, the opposite of protection
ana- (against, back) + phylaxis (protection) = a severe allergic reaction, the opposite of protection
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.