What does the prefix "meta-" indicate in medical terms?

The prefix "meta-" originates from Greek, where it means "after," "beyond," or "change." In medical terminology, it is commonly used to indicate a transformation or a change in state. For example, the term "metastasis" refers to the spread of cancer cells from the original (primary) site to another part of the body, illustrating a change from one location to another. This prefix is also used in other medical terms, such as "metabolic," which refers to the biochemical processes involved in maintaining life, indicating a change in the body's processes.

The other prefixes convey different meanings: the prefix for before or prior indicates an earlier position in time; a prefix that means between indicates a position in the middle of two entities; and a prefix that signifies around suggests encirclement or surrounding. Each of these prefixes has distinct usages in medical terminology but is not synonymous with the concept of change that "meta-" embodies.