Medical Terminology Chapter 13: Suffixes

Medical Terminology Suffixes

• -apheresis: Refers to the removal of a specific component from blood, often involving collection from a donor who has some blood returned after separation.
• -phoresis: Indicates transmission or conveyance.
• Electrophoresis: A technique using electricity to separate different substances based on size.
• Plasmapheresis: Involves the extraction of plasma from blood using centrifugation, separating it from blood cells.
• Leukapheresis: Process of removing white blood cells from blood via centrifugation.
• Plateletpheresis: Separation of platelets from blood, collected for patient use while reinfusing remaining blood back to the donor.

Cell Types and Conditions

• -blast: Denotes immature or embryonic cells.
• Monoblast: An immature white blood cell, specifically a monocyte, characterized by a single nucleus.
• -cytosis: Describes an abnormal condition characterized by an increase in cell numbers.
• Macrocytosis: Condition defined by the presence of abnormally large red blood cells.
• Microcytosis: Presence of smaller than normal red blood cells.
• -emia: Prefix indicating a blood condition.
• Leukemia: A malignant condition characterized by an abnormal increase of white blood cells.

Proteins and Formation

• -gen: Means producing or giving rise to.
• Fibrinogen: A critical blood protein necessary for clotting, converted to fibrin during the clot formation process.
• Fibrin: A protein that serves as the framework for blood clotting.
• -globin, -globulin: General term for proteins.
• Hemoglobin: Iron-containing protein in red blood cells responsible for oxygen transport.
• Immunoglobulin (Ig): Antibody proteins that are divided into five main classes based on their roles and locations in the body.

Conditions Related to Blood Components

• -lytic: Refers to the process of destruction.
• Thrombolytic therapy: Treatment aimed at dissolving blood clots.
• -oid: Indicates origin or derivation.
• Myeloid: Pertains to cells derived from bone marrow.
• -osis: A term indicating an abnormal condition.
• Thrombosis: Refers to a pathological state involving blood clot formation.

Deficiencies and Counts

• -penia: Denotes deficiency.
• Granulocytopenia: Deficiency in granulocytes, a type of white blood cell.
• Pancytopenia: A broad deficiency affecting all types of blood cells.
• -phage: Means to eat or swallow.
• Macrophage: A large phagocytic cell that engulfs and destroys dead cells and pathogens.

Increases in Cell Numbers

• -philia: Refers to an increase in cell numbers or attraction for a particular cell type.
• Eosinophilia: Increase in eosinophils, a type of white blood cell.
• Neutrophilia: Rise in neutrophil counts, another type of white blood cell.

Blood Cell Formation

• -poiesis: Indicates formation or production.
• Hematopoiesis: The process of blood cell formation.
• Erythropoiesis: The specific production of red blood cells.
• Erythropoietin: A hormone found in the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
• Myelopoiesis: Formation and development of cells originating from bone marrow.

Additional Terms Related to Cell Characteristics

• -stasis: Refers to control or stopping.
• Hemostasis: Process that prevents or stops bleeding.
• Anisocytosis: Condition characterized by unequal cell sizes.
• Hypochromia: Cells exhibit reduced color due to lower hemoglobin content.
• Macrocytosis: Involves abnormally large-sized cells.
• Microcytosis: Pertains to small-sized cells.
• Poikilocytosis: Presence of irregularly shaped cells.
• Spherocytosis: A condition where red blood cells take on a spherical shape, losing their normal biconcave form.

Explore the critical suffixes used in medical terminology with these flashcards from Chapter 13. Understand terms like '-apheresis' and '-phoresis', which are essential for communication in healthcare. Test your knowledge and enhance your medical vocabulary.