Final answer:
In medical terminology, a prefix is added to the beginnings of roots or words to modify or qualify their meaning.
Step-by-step explanation:
In medical terminology, a prefix is added to the beginnings of roots or words to modify or qualify their meaning. It is not a modifier that indicates singular or plural, the foundation of a word or term, or the combination of whole words. Prefixes can change the meaning of a word, such as in the term "hypertension" where the prefix "hyper-" means "high" or "over" and the root word "tension" refers to pressure, resulting in the meaning of "abnormally high blood pressure."