The prefix Hemi- denotes which of the following?

The prefix Hemi- denotes which of the following?

• A. Like
• B. Bile
• C. Half
• D. Blue

Answer: (C)

Hemi- denotes half. This prefix comes from Greek and is used in medical terms to indicate one side or a half of something. For example, a hemisphere is half of a sphere, such as the brain’s left or right hemisphere. Hemiparesis describes weakness on one side of the body, and hemianopia is loss of half of the visual field. The other options don’t fit because they would be expressed with different roots (for instance, “bile” relates to chole-/bili-, and “blue” or “like” would use unrelated roots). So hemi- clearly means half.

Hemi- denotes half. This prefix comes from Greek and is used in medical terms to indicate one side or a half of something. For example, a hemisphere is half of a sphere, such as the brain’s left or right hemisphere. Hemiparesis describes weakness on one side of the body, and hemianopia is loss of half of the visual field. The other options don’t fit because they would be expressed with different roots (for instance, “bile” relates to chole-/bili-, and “blue” or “like” would use unrelated roots). So hemi- clearly means half.