Juxta- (prefix)

Juxta- (prefix): Our prefix "juxta-" comes from the Latin preposition meaning near, nearby, close. Juxtaarticular is 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 is a collective term referring to the cells near a structure called the glomerulus in the kidney. The juxtaglomerular cells are specialised cells that stimulate secretion of the adrenal hormone aldosterone and play a major role in renal autoregulation. Juxtaposition is 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 is near the spinal column; juxtavescicular is near the bladder, etc.