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What does penta- mean in medical terms?
penta-
Meaning: five
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what penta- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using penta-
pentadactyl
penta- (five) + dactyl (finger or toe) = having five fingers or toes
penta- (five) + dactyl (finger or toe) = having five fingers or toes
pentapeptide
penta- (five) + peptide (a chain of amino acids) = a peptide made of five amino acids
penta- (five) + peptide (a chain of amino acids) = a peptide made of five amino acids
pentavalent
penta- (five) + valent (having combining power) = having a valence of five
penta- (five) + valent (having combining power) = having a valence of five
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.