Neo- (prefix)
Prefix meaning new. From the Greek “neos”, new, young, fresh, recent.
Examples of terms starting with “neo-” include neonatal and neonate (the newborn), neoplasia and neoplasm (new growth = tumor), etc.
The opposite of neo- is paleo-. Although paleo- does enter occasionally into medical usage, it is far less commonly encountered than neo- in medicine (and on the pharmacy shelves where there is Neomycin but no Paleomycin).
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- Neocortex
The newer portion of the cerebral cortex that serves as the center of higher mental functions for humans. The neocortex contains some 100 billion cells, each with 1,000 to 10,000 synapses (connections), and has roughly 100 million meters of wiring, all packed into a structure the size and thickness of a formal dinner napkin. The […]
- Neonatal
Pertaining to the newborn period, specifically the first 4 weeks after birth.
- Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Elevation of the bilirubin level in the newborn’s blood, which results in yellowish staining of the skin and whites of the newborn’s eyes (sclerae) by pigment of bile (bilirubin). In newborn babies, a degree of jaundice is normal. It is due to the breakdown of red blood cells (which release bilirubin into the blood) and […]
- Neonatal intensive care unit
An intensive care unit designed for premature and ill newborn babies. Abbreviated NICU. Also called a newborn intensive care unit.
- Neonatal jaundice
Yellowish staining of the skin and whites of the newborn’s eyes (sclerae) by pigment of bile (bilirubin). In newborn babies a degree of jaundice is normal. It is due to the breakdown of red blood cells (which release bilirubin into the blood) and to the immaturity of the newborn’s liver (which cannot effectively metabolize the […]