MedTerm Diminutive Suffixes

Diminutive Suffixes in Medical Terminology

• Common suffixes include -culus, -cle, -corpuscle, -clavicle, -ventricle, -auricle, among others.
• These suffixes often indicate something small or diminutive in structure or function.

Key Terms and Definitions

• Molecule: Refers to a little mass of substance, derived from -culus.
• Muscle: Means little mouse, referencing the shape of contracted muscle; suffixed with -cle.
• Corpuscle: Denotes a little body, used historically for blood cells.
• Clavicle: Translates to little key, attributed to its shape resembling a key.
• Ventricle: Indicates little belly, specifically a lower chamber of the heart.
• Auricle: Represents a small ear, related to heart atria's ear lobe-like appendage.
• Cuticle: Translates to little skin, referring to the outer layer of skin.
• Cerebellum: Means little brain, a region at the back of the brain.
• Patella: Refers to little pan or knee pan, commonly known as the knee cap.
• Scalpel: Denotes a little knife, a surgical instrument used for incisions.

Additional Terms on Diminutive Structures

• Morsel: Signifies little bite, often in reference to small food portions.
• Bacillus: Translates to little rod, indicating a genus of bacteria, suffixed with -illus.
• Tonsil: Means a little almond, related to lymphatic tissue in the throat.
• Pastille: Refers to a little loaf, often associated with a small medicated tablet.
• Alveolus: Indicates a small pit, commonly an air cell in the lungs.
• Modiolus: Means small measure, referring to a conical structure in the ear's cochlea.
• Nucleolus: Represents a little kernel, a rounded mass within the cell's nucleus.

Vascular and Cavity-Related Terms

• Arteriola: Translates to little artery, a minute artery leading to capillaries.
• Bronchiole: Indicates little windpipe, branching from the bronchi.
• Vacuole: Refers to a little empty space, representing cavities in cell protoplasm.
• Calculus: Means a little stone, relating to abnormal mineral formations in the body.
• Stimulus: Denotes a little goal, indicating factors causing a biological response.
• Hamulus: Refers to a little hook, describing hook-shaped anatomical structures.
• Uvula: Means a little grape, the small structure in the throat.
• Venule: Indicates a little vein, a small vein that connects to capillaries.
• Granule: Translates to a little grain, describing small grain-like structures in various contexts.