What does the medical terminology combining form -para mean?

Answer 1

In medical terms, the suffix -para means "to bear children," as in primipara (a woman who has borne one child) or multipara (a woman who has born more than one child). Para used as a prefix, instead, means "around," as in paravertebral muscles.

Answer 2

The medical terminology combining form -para refers to a woman who has given birth. It is often used in terms like multipara (a woman who has given birth multiple times) or primipara (a woman who has given birth for the first time).

Answer 3

Para- means beside or next to. So the parathyroid glands are next to the thyroid, and paraprofessionals work beside professionals.
Para is a prefix that can mean "beside" or "adjacent to". It can also be used in medicine to denote a disordered function or faculty.

Hope this helps.