Medical Terminology Suffixes Flashcards

Medical Terminology Suffixes

• -able: Indicates capability or ability to do something.

• -ac, -al: These suffixes denote something that is pertinent or relevant to a particular subject.

• -ary: Implies a connection or relation to a certain entity or topic.

• -asis, -asia, -esis, -osis: Refers to a specific condition or state, often used in medical diagnoses.

• -cel, -cele: Indicates swelling, an enlarged space, or the presence of a tumor.

• -cid, -cide, -cis: Relates to actions of cutting, killing, or destroying.

• -emia: Describes a condition related to blood, often used in blood disorders (e.g., anemia).

• -ferent: Means to carry or to transport substances in the body, commonly used in physiological contexts.

• -form: Relates to shape or structure.

• -ia: Denotes a state or condition, commonly used in terms relating to symptoms or diseases.

• -ic: Used to create adjectives, indicating a relation to the root word.

• -ism: Describes a condition or a state, often related to specific diseases or disorders.

• -ist: Signifies a specialist or expert in a particular field or subject.

• -itis: Indicates inflammation, a common suffix used in medical terminology for conditions such as arthritis.

• -logy, -ology: Refers to the study of a specific field or subject, commonly used in academic and medical contexts.

• -malacia: Describes the softening of a tissue or organ, indicating a pathological state.

• -oma: Refers to a tumor, can be benign or malignant.

• -ory: Pertaining to a specific function or relating to certain activities.

• -ose: Suggests being full of, often used to describe sugars or substances (e.g., glucose).

• -penia: Refers to a deficiency or lack of a specific substance or cell type.

• -pathy: Indicates disease, often used in terms that specify a particular illness (e.g., neuropathy).

• -pnea: Relates to breathing, used in medical terminology concerning respiratory conditions.

• -tomy: Denotes the act of cutting into or making an incision, often used in surgical terms.

• -trophy: Refers to a state related to nutrition or growth, often used in context with muscle tissue and development.

• -tropic: Indicates a change or influence, often in a biological or physiological context, relating to how substances affect growth or movement.