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What does apo- mean in medical terms?
apo-
Meaning: away from, separate, off
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what apo- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using apo-
apoptosis
apo- (off, away) + ptosis (falling) = programmed cell death, a falling away of cells
apo- (off, away) + ptosis (falling) = programmed cell death, a falling away of cells
apocrine
apo- (away from) + crine (to secrete) = a gland whose secretion involves loss of part of the cell
apo- (away from) + crine (to secrete) = a gland whose secretion involves loss of part of the cell
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.