Medical Suffixes: Definitions and Usage

• Suffixes are attached to the end of the word root to modify the meaning of the term.

Learning Objectives

• Define medical suffixes
• Construct and deconstruct medical terms using prefixes, root words and suffixes
• Apply knowledge of suffixes to interpret anesthesia related terms.

Cardi-o-logy

• Cardi-o is the root
• -logy is the suffix, (-logy = the field of the study)

Cardi-o-logist

• Cardi-o, is the root
• -logist is the suffix, (-logist = specialist)

-megaly

• -megaly = enlargement
• e.g. cardiomegaly

Suffixes That Mean "Condition of"

• -ia is a suffix example
• An-esthes-ia (-ia is the suffix).

De-ment-ia

• De- = loss of
• Ment = intellectual function (from Latin mentis: mind)
• -ia is the suffix

Alzheimer's vs Dementia

• Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that affects the brain, it is a specific disease
• Dementia is a general term for a decline in cognitive ability that includes memory loss and thinking difficulties

Suffixes That Mean "Condition of"

• -sis is a suffix exmaple
• Thromb-o-sis is the suffix example

Thrombosis

• Refers to having a blood clot(thrombus) in a vessel.
• The noun suffix -sis, means "condition of"

Suffixes That Mean "Condition of"

• -ism is a suffix example
• Hyper-thyroid-ism is a suffix example
• Hyperthyroidism is the condition of excess thyroid hormone

Suffixes That Mean "Pertaining to," "Like," or "Resembling"

• -al is a suffix example
• voc-al is a suffix example

Voc-al

• Pertaining to the voice
• Vocal cords and phonation are used in this example

Suffixes That Mean "Pertaining to," "Like," or "Resembling"

• -ical is a suffix example
• surg-ical is a suffix example
• surgical pertaining to surgery

Suffixes That Mean "Pertaining to," "Like," or "Resembling"

• -ac = cardiac pertaining to the heart
• -al = vocal pertaining to the voice
• -ar = nuclear pertaining to a nucleus
• -ary = salivary pertaining to saliva
• -ic = anatomic pertaining to anatomy
• -oid = lymphoid pertaining to the lymphatic system
• -ical (ic + al) = surgical pertaining to surgery
• -ous = cutaneous pertaining to the skin (from L. cutis: skin)

Bones of the Spine

• Each bone of the spine is a vertebra
• The spinal column is made of 26 vertebrae

Vessel Lumen

• The lumen is the central opening of an organ or vessel.
• In this example are an artery and a vein.
• The plural of lumen is lumina

Plural Endings

• a becomes ae, vertebra becomes vertebrae (bone of the spine)
• en becomes ina, lumen becomes lumina (central opening)
• ex, ix, yx becomes ices, matrix becomes matrices (background substance; mold)
• is becomes es, diagnosis becomes diagnoses (determination of a disease or defect)
• nx (anx, inx, ynx) becomes nges, phalanx becomes phalanges (hone of finger or toe)
• on becomes a, ganglion becomes ganglia (mass of nervous tissue)
• um becomes a, ovum becomes ova
• us becomes i, alveolus becomes alveoli

Suffixes for Medical Specialties

• -logy = the field of the study, e.g. cardiology
• -logist = specialist, e.g. cardiologist
• Techn-o-logy: Technology = Root + Suffix
• -ics/ -ician, e.g. Pediatrics/-ician (Diagnosing/treating the children)
• -ics/ -ician, e.g. Geriatrics/-ician (Diagnosing/treating the older people)
• -ics/ -ician, e.g. Obstetrics/-ician (Medical care of women during pregnancy, childbirth and after birth)
• ORTHOPEDICS/ORTHOPEDIST, diagnosing/treating the musculoskeletal system (including surgery)