Apheresis Suffix Medical Term Quiz & Flashcards

Study Notes

Medical Terminology Suffixes

-apheresis: Indicates the removal or carrying away of substances from the body, often used in procedures like leukapheresis.
-blast: Refers to an immature or embryonic cell, commonly found in terms like osteoblasts (bone-forming cells).
-cytosis: Denotes an abnormal condition characterized by an increase in the number of cells, often used to describe conditions such as erythrocytosis (increased red blood cells).
-emia: Relates specifically to blood conditions, highlighting various disorders such as anemia (a deficiency of red cells).
-gen: Signifies something that produces or gives rise to, relevant in terms like carcinogen (substance that causes cancer).
-globin: Refers to proteins, primarily those involved in the oxygen transport in the blood, as seen in hemoglobin.
-lytic: Pertains to destruction, commonly used in medical terms to describe processes that lead to the breakdown of cells, such as bacteriolytic.
-oid: Indicates something that is derived from or originating from a specified source, often used in morphology.
-osis: Conveys an abnormal condition or disease state, commonly used in medical terminologies like fibrosis (thickening of tissue).
-penia: Represents a deficiency in a specific component, frequently seen in terms such as leukopenia (a decrease in white blood cells).
-phage: Means to eat or swallow, seen in terms like macrophage (a type of white blood cell that engulfs and digests cellular debris).
-philia: Indicates attraction for, often associated with an increase in specific cell types, like eosinophilia (increase in eosinophils).
-phoresis: Denotes carrying or transmission, often used in contexts such as electrophoresis (a method for separating biomolecules).
-poiesis: Refers to formation or production, utilized in terms such as hematopoiesis (formation of blood cells).
-stasis: Indicates a stop or control mechanism, relevant in conditions like homeostasis (stable internal environment).