Juxta- (prefix)

The Latin preposition meaning "near, nearby, close." Juxta- appears commonly as a prefix in (and outside) medicine. Some examples in medical usage include the following: {{}}Juxtaarticular — composed of juxta, near + articular, from the Latin "articulus", a joint = near a joint. A juxtaarticular fracture is a break near a joint. The juxtaglomerular apparatus — a collective term referring to the cells near a structure called the glomerulus in the kidney. The juxtaglomerular cells are specialized cells that stimulate secretion of the adrenal hormone aldosterone and play a major role in renal autoregulation. Juxtaposition — the act of placing two or more things side by side or the state of being so placed. To lose a pair of juxtaposed teeth is to lose teeth next to one another. (Apposition is synonymous with juxtaposition). Juxtapyloric — means near the pylorus (the muscular area at the junction of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum). To speak of a juxtapyloric ulcer is to be precise about the location of the ulcer near the pylorus. Juxtaspinal — near the spinal column. Juxtavescicular is near the bladder, etc., etc. Juxta- lends anatomical precision to the location of a structure. Prefixes like "juxta-" play an essential role as building blocks in the construction of many medical terms. For more prefixes in medicine, please search this dictionary using the word "prefix".