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Medical Suffixes

182 Words

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Medical terminology • Suffixes

• Prefixes

• Suffixes –What is a suffix?

• A suffix is an affix that is attached to the end of a root or stem.

1. Signifying medical conditions.

• 2. Denoting diagnostics terms, test information, or surgical procedures.

• 3. Associated with a medical specialty or specialist.

• 4. Denoting adjectives.

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• Suffixes that signify a medical condition.

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-algia (1)

• Definition: pain

• Example: arthralgia (2)

• presence of painful joints. Severe

pain in a joint.

• Also called arthrodynia. (3)

• Odynia – stands for pain.

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-cyte (4)

• Definition: cell

• Example: Osteocyte

(5)

• Bone cell

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-odynia (6)

• Definition: pain

• Example: cardiodynia (7)

• Pain in the heart – related to the heart.

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-ectasis (8)

• Definition: stretching out; dilatation (expanding); expansion, enlargement

• Example: bronchi (9)/ ectasis - Chronic dilation of the bronchioles (10). • Phleb (11)/ ectasis -

• blue-purple, soft papule formed by thin-walled, dilated blood vessels that branch on pressure

• Bronchus – either of the two branches of the trachea that leads to the lungs.

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-emia (12)

• Definition: blood condition, something related to blood.

• Example: Anemia (13) • Low red blood cell count.

• Leukemia (14)– It refers to a type of blood cancer which is characterized by rapid growth of white blood cells.

• Ischemia (181): to hold back blood from a part of the body. Usually happens when there is a blocked artery.

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-iasis (15) • Definition: condition, or state – related to unhealthiness

• Example: psoriasis (16)

• Excess skin is produced on patches of the body.

Cholelithiasis (17): presence of gall stones in the gall bladder.

Lith (18)– stone

Chole (19)– gall

Nephrolithiasis (20): stones in the kidney.

Nephro (21): Kidney

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-malacia (22) • Definition: softening or loss of consistency and contiguity in any

of the organs or tissues.

• Example: Chondromalacia (23)

• Degeneration of the cartilage under the knee cap.

• Osteo/malacia: Softening of the bone

• Arterio (24)/malacia: Abnormal softening of the walls of the

artery.

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- Itis (25) - This suffix occurs in terms that denote inflammation

- Example:

• Gastritis (26)– inflammation of the stomach

• Gastro (27)– stomach

• Esophagitis (28): inflammation of the esophagus caused by esophageal reflux (GERD)

• GERD - Gastro Esophageal reflux disease (29)– when the liquid in the stomach regurgitates into the esophagus. Burning sensations.

• Neuritis (30): inflammation of a nerve or nerves

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-oma (31)

• Definition: suffix denoting tumor; swelling

• Example: glaucoma (32) group of eye diseases - damage to the optic nerve usually due to excessively high intraocular pressure (IOP). • Swelling of the eyes.

• Lipoma (33):

• A benign fatty tumor

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-osis (35)

• Definition: abnormal condition, process

or state (means increased when used

with blood cell word roots), could also

mean an invasion or infestation.

• Example: dermatosis (36)

• Inflammation of the skin.

• Xerosis (37): Abnormal drying up of the

skin.

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-plasia (38)

• Definition: formation (especially of cells); development; a growth

• Example: Hyperplasia (39)

• Proliferation of cells within an organ.

• Achondroplasia (40): Improper development of cartilage at the ends of the long bones, resulting in a form of congenital dwarfism

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-plegia (41)

• Definition: paralysis or stroke

• Example: paraplegia (42)

• Lower part of a person’s body is paralyzed.

• Quadriplegic (43): Paralysis of all the four

extremities

• Hemiplegic (44): Paralysis of only one side

• Cardioplegia (45): Paralysis of the heart

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-ptosis (46)

• Definition: A sinking down, dropping;

sagging; prolapse

• Example: splanchnoptosis (47): Sinking

of the abdomen. Visceral

• Ptosis (48) of the eyelids is the drooping of

the eyelids, also known as blepharoptosis

(184).

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-Pnea (49)

• Pnea- breathing, respiration

• Apnea (50)- a temporary suspension or

absence of breathing.

• Dyspnea (51)– Shortness of breath –

associated with a disease of the heart

or the lungs.

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• Rrhage (52): flowing forth, bursting forth

• Ex.: hemorrhage (53)– escape of blood

from the tissue

• Bleeding profusely

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-orrhea (54)

• Definition: flow; excessive discharge

• Example: menorrhea (55)

• Excessive and heavy menstruation during

reproductive age.

• Diarrhea (56)– frequent and watery

bowel movements.

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-spasm (57)

• Definition: sudden involuntary muscle

contraction, includes cramps, and

contractures

• Example: vasospasm (58)

• Condition in which the blood cells spasm.

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• Rrhexis (59)– rupture

• Hepatorrhexis (60)– rupture of the liver

• Hepat/o (61)– liver

• Hysterorrhexis (62)– rupture of the

uterus

• Hyster/o (63)– uterus

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• Suffixes that signify diagnostic terms,

test, information, or surgical procedures:

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-Centesis (64)

• -Centesis is a surgical puncture to aspirate fluid.

• Laryngocentesis (65) surgical puncture of the larynx

• Amniocentesis (182): Withdrawal of amniotic fluid. Contains fetal cells which are taken for analysis.

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-Desis (66)

• -Desis is a surgical fixation; fusion

• Arthrodesis (67) is the artificial

induction of joint ossification between

two bones via surgery or a permanent

surgical immobilization of a joint

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-ectomy (68)

• Definition: excision or surgical removal

of an anatomical structure.

• Example: tonsillectomy (69)

• Procedure in which the tonsils are

removed.

• Appendectomy (70): removal of the

appendix.

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-Gen (71) • -Gen is a substance or agent that

produces or causes something

• Antigen (72)- a substance, usually a

protein, on the surface of a cell

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-genesis (73)

• Genesis- origin; cause

• Iatrogenesis (74)- inadvertent and preventable induction of disease.

• Brought forth by a healer.

• state of ill health or adverse effect or complication caused by or resulting from medical treatment.

• Angiogenesis refers to the

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-genic (75)

• Definition: producing; forming

originating; causing

• Example: cystogenic (76)

• Has the ability to create cysts.

• [New Latin cystis, from Greek kustis,

bladder.]

• Carcinogenic (77): Something that is

capable of producing cancer.

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-gram (78)

• Definition: record; x-ray film

• Example: echocardiogram (79)

• Records heart beat.

• Electroencephalogram (80): EEG – test

that measures the electrical activity of the

brain.

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• Graph (81)– device for graphic or

pictorial recording.

• Graphy (82)– act of graphic or pictorial

recording.

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-Meter (83)

• Meter- instrument used to measure

• Thermometer (84)- an instrument for

measuring temperature

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-Metry (85)

• Metry-measurement

• Oximetry (86)- a non-invasive (without

piercing the skin) method which allows

health care providers to monitor the

oxygenation (87) of a patient's blood.

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-Plasty (88)

• Plasty-plastic or surgical repair of a defect or restoration of form.

• Cheiloplasty(89): Is the surgical repair of a defect of the lips.

• Arthroplasty(90)- surgical repair of a joint or replacement of a joint.

• Cheil/o- lips

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-Pexy (91)

• Pexy - fixation; suspension, usually

surgical

• Urethropexy(92)- Surgical suspension

of the urethra

• Hepatopexy(93): Surgical anchoring of

the liver to the abdominal wall.

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-scopy (94)

• Definition: visual examination

• Example: colonoscopy (95)

• Examination of the colon.

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-scope (96)

• Definition: instrument used for

examination

• Example: stethoscope (97)

• Used for examination of breathing and

heartbeat.

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• Rraphy (98)

• – suturing or repair

• Arteriorraphy – suturing of the arterial

wall.

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-Tome (99)

• Tome-instrument used to cut

• Keratome (100)- a surgical instrument

used for making an incision in the

cornea in cataract operations

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-Tripsy (101)

• Tripsy-surgical crushing

• Lithotripsy (102)- the fragmentation of a

stone in the urinary system or

gallbladder

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• Stomy (103)-a word termination

denoting the surgical creation of an

artificial opening into a hollow organ or

a new opening between two such

structures.

• Colostomy (104)-a surgical operation

that creates an artificial anus through

an opening made in the abdomen from

the colon. “Stom” means mouth –

opening.

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•End of part 1

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• Suffixes that denote adjectives:

• The root word appendix – the word

replaces x for c

• The following suffixes convert root

nouns to adjectives

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• -ac -ic

• -al -oid

• -aneous -otic

• -ar (10 -ous

• -ary -tic

• -derm -ular

• -eal

• -eous

• -iatric

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• -Ar is “pertaining to or relating

to”

• Malar (106): relating to the

cheek, the cheekbone, or the

side of the head

• Alveolar (107): Pertaining to

the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in

the lungs

-Ar (105)

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-ac (108)

• Definition: pertaining to

• Example: cardiac (109)

• heart

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-al (110)

• Definition: pertaining to

• Example: femoral (111)

• Pertaining to the bone in the human leg.

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-Eal

• The definition of –eal is “pertaining

to”

• Calcaneal (112): is the largest tarsal

bone, forming the prominence heel.

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-Aneous (113)

• -Aneous- means mixed

• Miscellaneous (114)-assorted;

consisting of a assortment of different

kinds

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-Eous (115)

• -Eous-Composed of, of the nature of, it

is a suffix that forms adjective

• Gaseous (116)-the state of water in

which individual molecules are highly

energized

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-Oid (117)

• Oid- resembling

• Hyoid (118)- is a bone in the human

neck. A U-shaped bone at the base of

the tongue that supports the muscles of

the tongue.

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-Otic (119)

• Otic- pertaining to the ear

• Otic Barotrauma (120): Middle ear problems

due to changing atmospheric pressures, as

when a plane descends to land.

• Epizootic (121): having a specified disease or

abnormal condition.

• Epi (122): besides, upon, on account of

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-Ous (123)

• Ous-pertaining to, characterized by

• Parous (124)- pertaining to having given birth

on at least one occasion

• Homozygous(125): union characterized by

the joining of identical alleles for a single trait.

{An allele is an alternative form of a gene

(one member of a pair) that is located at a

specific position on a specific chromosome.}

• Homo (126): One and the same, common

joint.

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-Tic (127)

• Tic- an involuntary, compulsive, rapid,

repetitive, stereotyped movement or

vocalization

• Psychotic (128)-characterized by or

afflicted with psychosis. –a person

afflicted with psychosis. (This is a

generic term used to define detached

from reality.)

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-Ular

• Ular (129)- Of, relating to, or

resembling:

• Tubular (130)-rough projection of the

bone

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-derm (131)

• Definition: skin

• Example: dermis (132)

• Layer of skin.

• Epidermis(133): outer layer of the skin

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-Emesis (134)

• Emesis- vomiting

• Hematemesis (135)– the vomiting of

blood

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-Globin (136)

• Globin- is the protein constituent of

hemoglobin

• Hemoglobin (137)-the oxygen-carrying

pigment of red blood cells that gives

them their red color and serves to

convey oxygen to the tissues:

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• Iasis (138) – a suffix that is used to

convert a verb to a noun indicating a

condition.

• -ism (139)- noun forming suffix

indicating a practice or a doctrine

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-Ism (140)

• Ism-”state of”

• Embolism (141) is the blockage of an

artery

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-Lith (142) • Lith- mineral concretion; stone;

calculus, A joint or limb; a division; a

member;

• Lithiasis (143): Cholelithiasis (144)–

Gall Stones

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-Lysis (145)

• Lysis-loosening; dissolution; separating

• Hydrolysis (146)- a chemical reaction in

which a compound reacts with water,

causing decomposition and the

production of two or more other

compounds

• Spondylolysis (147): A broken bone in

the back.

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-Mania (148)

• Mania- madness; insane desire

• Pyromania (149)- the uncontrollable

urge to set fire to things

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-opsy (150)

• Definition: to view

• Example: biopsy (151)

• Removal of cells or tissue to view the body.

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-path (152)

• Definition: disease

• Example: pathology (153)

• Study of disease

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-Phobia (154)

• Phobia-abnormal fear of or an aversion

to specific objects or things

• Claustrophobia (155)- an irrational fear

of being in a confined or enclosed

space

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-Poiesis (156)

• Poiesis-formation

• Hematopoiesis (157)- the formation of

red blood cells in the blood-forming

tissues of the body.

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-Sclerosis (158)

• Sclerosis-hardening

• Atherosclerosis (159)- is the

accumulation of fatty materials within

arterial walls. A common form of

arteriosclerosis in which fatty

substances form a deposit of plaque on

the inner lining of arterial walls

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-Stasis (160)

• Stasis-control; stop

• Hemostasis (161)- the stopping of

bleeding or hemorrhaging in an organ or

body part

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-Stenosis (162)

• Stenosis-constriction; narrowing

• Aortic Stenosis(163): Narrowing of the heart valve between the left ventricle of the heart and the aorta

• Metrostenosis (164): narrowing of the uterine cavity - uterine cavity (165) (the space inside the uterus between the cervical canal and the Fallopian tubes)

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-tomy (166)

• Definition: cut into or incision

• Example: craniotomy (167)

• incision in the skull.

• -tome (168)– instrument used for cutting

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-ic (169)

• Definition: pertaining to

• Example: pediatric (170)

• Pertaining to children

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-Ian (171)

• Ian –one who

• Physician (172)-

someone who is

qualified to practice

medicine

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-Iatrist (173)

• Iatrist-physician

• Psychiatrist (174)-a medical doctor

who specializes in the diagnosis and

treatment of mental disorders

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-Logist (175)

• Logist- one who studies & practices

(specialist)-

• Cardiologist (176)- a doctor who

specializes in the diagnosis and

treatment of heart disorders

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-cele (177)

• Definition: hernia; protrusion

• Example: hydrocele (178)

• Accumulation of fluid in a body cavity.

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-logy (179)

• Definition: study of

• Example: Oncology (180)

• Study of cancer

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• The End