Comprehensive Guide to Medical Terminology Suffixes

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Medical Terminology Suffixes

Introduction

Suffixes are essential components of medical terminology, providing specific meanings to root words and helping to describe conditions, procedures, diseases, and anatomical features. Understanding these suffixes enables students to interpret and construct medical terms accurately.

Common Medical Suffixes and Their Meanings

The following table summarizes key medical suffixes, their definitions, and examples of their use in medical terms.

Definition	Suffix	Example
Abnormal fear	-phobia	Hydrophobia (fear of water)
Action; process	-ion	Incision (the act of cutting into)
Activity; practice	-praxia	Apraxia (loss of ability to perform purposeful movements)
Attracted to; tendency toward	-philia	Hemophilia (tendency toward bleeding)
Bearing offspring	-para	Multipara (woman who has given birth more than once)
Beginning	-arche	Menarche (onset of menstruation)
Binding or surgical fusion	-desis	Arthrodesis (surgical fusion of a joint)
Blood	-emia	Anemia (lack of blood)
A “body” of a specified sort	-some	Chromosome (colored body)
To break	-clast, -clastic	Osteoclast (cell that breaks down bone)
Breathing	-pnea	Apnea (absence of breathing)
Carbohydrate	-ose	Glucose (a sugar)
Cell	-cyte	Erythrocyte (red blood cell)
Characteristic of	-an	Median (pertaining to the middle)
Chest	-thorax	Pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity)
Condition of	-esis	Diuresis (condition of increased urine production)
Condition, noun ending	-ia	Bradycardia (slow heart rate)
Condition; theory	-ism	Hypothyroidism (condition of low thyroid activity)
Condition	-osis	Cyanosis (bluish discoloration)
Condition	-sis	Hemolysis (destruction of blood cells)
Condition involving cells of the blood	-cythemia	Polycythemia (excess of blood cells)
Condition of CO2 content in the blood	-capnia	Hypercapnia (excess CO2 in blood)
Condition of the mind or will	-thymia	Dysthymia (chronic depression)
Containing protein	-globin	Hemoglobin (blood protein)
Crushing; breaking up	-clasis	Osteoclasis (breaking of bone)
Decrease in; deficiency	-penia	Leukopenia (deficiency of white blood cells)
Destruction; detachment	-lysis	Hemolysis (destruction of blood cells)
Destruction	-lytic	Cytolytic (cell-destroying)
Discharge, flow	-rrhea	Diarrhea (excessive discharge of feces)
Disease	-pathy	Neuropathy (disease of nerves)
Drooping or prolapse	-ptosis	Nephroptosis (drooping of the kidney)
To eat	-phage, -phagia	Phagocyte (cell that eats); Dysphagia (difficulty eating)
Enlargement	-megaly	Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)
Inflammation	-itis	Appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix)
An instrument used to measure	-meter	Thermometer (measures temperature)
An instrument used to record	-graph	Electrocardiograph (records heart activity)
An instrument used to view	-scope	Endoscope (instrument to view inside the body)
Intentional crushing	-tripsy	Lithotripsy (crushing of stones)
To kill; to destroy	-cide	Bactericide (kills bacteria)
Labor	-tocia	Dystocia (difficult labor)
Loss of strength	-asthenia	Myasthenia (muscle weakness)
Medical treatment; medical profession	-iatry	Podiatry (medical treatment of feet)
A mental disorder; madness	-mania	Kleptomania (obsession with stealing)
Movement	-kinesis	Dyskinesis (abnormal movement)
Nourishment; development	-trophy	Hypertrophy (excessive development)
One who specializes	-logist	Cardiologist (heart specialist)
Pain; suffering	-algia, -dynia	Neuralgia (nerve pain); Gastrodynia (stomach pain)
Paralysis; stroke	-plegia	Hemiplegia (paralysis of one side)
Partial paralysis	-paresis	Hemiparesis (weakness of one side)
Pertaining to	-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -ic, -ical, -ous, -tic	Cardiac (pertaining to the heart); Neural (pertaining to nerves)
Pregnancy	-cyesis, -gravida	Pseudocyesis (false pregnancy); Primigravida (first pregnancy)
Presence of abnormal condition	-iasis	Cholelithiasis (gallstones)
Process of viewing	-scopy	Endoscopy (viewing inside the body)
Producing; forming	-gen, -gene, -genesis, -genic	Pathogen (disease producer); Carcinogenic (cancer causing)
Record; picture	-gram	Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Rupture	-rrhexis	Hepatorrhexis (rupture of the liver)
Surgical removal	-ectomy	Appendectomy (removal of appendix)
Surgical repair	-plasty	Rhinoplasty (repair of the nose)
Suturing	-rrhaphy	Herniorrhaphy (repair of hernia)
Swelling; herniation	-cele	Hydrocele (fluid-filled swelling)
The study of	-logy	Biology (study of life)
Treatment	-therapy	Radiotherapy (treatment with radiation)
Tumor	-oma	Carcinoma (cancerous tumor)
Urine	-uria	Polyuria (excessive urination)
Vision	-opsia	Diplopsia (double vision)
To vomit	-emesis	Hematemesis (vomiting blood)
Writing; record	-graphy	Angiography (recording blood vessels)

Suffixes Indicating Noun Endings

-a, -e, -es, -is, -y, -os, -um, -us, -i: These suffixes are used to form singular nouns in medical terminology. For example, vertebra (singular of vertebrae), fungus (singular of fungi).

Suffixes for Procedures and Treatments

-centesis: Surgical puncture to remove fluid (e.g., amniocentesis).
-otomy, -tomy: Incision into (e.g., tracheotomy).
-stomy: Surgical creation of a new opening (e.g., colostomy).
-pexy: Surgical fixation (e.g., nephropexy).
-plasty: Surgical repair (e.g., angioplasty).
-tripsy: Crushing (e.g., lithotripsy).
-ectomy: Surgical removal (e.g., mastectomy).
-rrhaphy: Suturing (e.g., tenorrhaphy).

Suffixes for Conditions and Diseases

-itis: Inflammation (e.g., tonsillitis).
-oma: Tumor (e.g., melanoma).
-osis: Abnormal condition (e.g., nephrosis).
-pathy: Disease (e.g., myopathy).
-emia: Blood condition (e.g., leukemia).
-penia: Deficiency (e.g., thrombocytopenia).
-megaly: Enlargement (e.g., splenomegaly).
-algia, -dynia: Pain (e.g., arthralgia, gastrodynia).
-plegia: Paralysis (e.g., quadriplegia).
-cele: Herniation or swelling (e.g., meningocele).

Suffixes for Diagnostic and Measurement Terms

-meter: Instrument for measuring (e.g., spirometer).
-metry: Process of measuring (e.g., optometry).
-scope: Instrument for viewing (e.g., microscope).
-scopy: Process of viewing (e.g., gastroscopy).
-graph: Instrument for recording (e.g., electroencephalograph).
-gram: Record or picture (e.g., sonogram).
-graphy: Process of recording (e.g., angiography).

Suffixes for Specialists and Practitioners

-logist: Specialist in a field (e.g., neurologist).
-ist: Practitioner (e.g., pharmacist).
-ician, -ian: Specialist in a field (e.g., physician).
-iatrician, -iatrist: Physician or one who treats (e.g., psychiatrist).

Suffixes for Formation, Growth, and Development

-plasia: Formation or development (e.g., hyperplasia).
-poiesis: Formation or production (e.g., hematopoiesis).
-physis: Growth (e.g., epiphysis).
-trophy: Nourishment or development (e.g., atrophy).
-blast: Embryonic stage (e.g., osteoblast).

Suffixes for Other Functions and Descriptions

-ase: Enzyme (e.g., lipase).
-ose: Sugar (e.g., fructose).
-phoresis: Transmission (e.g., electrophoresis).
-stasis: Stopping or controlling (e.g., hemostasis).
-sthenia: Strength (e.g., neurasthenia).
-ectasia: Stretching or dilation (e.g., angiectasia).
-malacia: Softening (e.g., osteomalacia).
-oid: Resembling (e.g., thyroid).
-drome: That which runs together (e.g., syndrome).
-tresia: Perforation (e.g., atretresia).
-porosis: Passage or pore (e.g., osteoporosis).
-spasm: Twitching or involuntary contraction (e.g., blepharospasm).
-phoria: Emotional state (e.g., euphoria).
-lexia: Reading (e.g., dyslexia).
-phasia: Speech (e.g., aphasia).
-esthesia: Sensation or feeling (e.g., anesthesia).
-algesia: Sensitivity to pain (e.g., analgesia).
-dipsia: Thirst (e.g., polydipsia).
-ptysis: Spitting (e.g., hemoptysis).
-pepsia: State of digestion (e.g., dyspepsia).
-tropin: Stimulating effect of a hormone (e.g., gonadotropin).
-tropia: To turn (e.g., esotropia).
-ad: Toward (e.g., caudad).
-ate: Something that (e.g., sulfate).
-ize: To make or treat (e.g., anesthetize).

Summary Table: Suffixes by Function

Function	Suffixes
Condition/Disease	-itis, -oma, -osis, -pathy, -emia, -penia, -megaly, -algia, -dynia, -plegia, -cele, -iasis
Procedure/Treatment	-centesis, -otomy, -stomy, -pexy, -plasty, -tripsy, -ectomy, -rrhaphy, -therapy
Diagnostic/Measurement	-meter, -metry, -scope, -scopy, -graph, -gram, -graphy
Specialist/Practitioner	-logist, -ist, -ician, -ian, -iatrician, -iatrist
Formation/Growth	-plasia, -poiesis, -physis, -trophy, -blast
Other	-ase, -ose, -phoresis, -stasis, -sthenia, -ectasia, -malacia, -oid, -drome, -tresia, -porosis, -spasm, -phoria, -lexia, -phasia, -esthesia, -algesia, -dipsia, -ptysis, -pepsia, -tropin, -tropia, -ad, -ate, -ize

Key Points for Exam Preparation

Suffixes are added to root words to modify their meaning and specify medical conditions, procedures, or characteristics.
Many suffixes are shared across different body systems and chapters in medical terminology.
Recognizing suffixes helps decode unfamiliar medical terms and improves communication in healthcare settings.

Example: Constructing Medical Terms

Nephrectomy: nephr- (kidney) + -ectomy (surgical removal) = surgical removal of the kidney.
Gastroscopy: gastr- (stomach) + -scopy (process of viewing) = visual examination of the stomach.
Osteomalacia: oste- (bone) + -malacia (softening) = softening of the bone.

Additional info:

Some suffixes have similar meanings but are used in different contexts (e.g., -rrhea for discharge and -rrhage for excessive discharge).
Suffixes can be combined with prefixes and root words to form complex medical terms.