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What does hetero- mean in medical terms?
hetero-
Meaning: different, other
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what hetero- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using hetero-
heterogeneous
hetero- (different) + gene (kind) + ous (characterized by) = composed of different kinds of parts
hetero- (different) + gene (kind) + ous (characterized by) = composed of different kinds of parts
heterozygous
hetero- (different) + zygous (yoked, paired) = having two different alleles for a gene
hetero- (different) + zygous (yoked, paired) = having two different alleles for a gene
heterograft
hetero- (different) + graft (transplanted tissue) = a graft from a different species
hetero- (different) + graft (transplanted tissue) = a graft from a different species
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.