Medical Terminology - Suffixes

Question 1

-al

Answer 1

Pertaining to

EX: Intestinal: pertaining to the intestines

Question 2

-algia

Answer 2

Pertaining to pain

EX: Myalgia: muscle pain

Question 3

-cyte

Answer 3

Cell

EX: Leukocyte: white blood cell

Question 4

-ectomy

Answer 4

Surgical removal of

EX: Hysterectomy: surgical procedure to remove the womb

Question 5

-emesis

Answer 5

Vomiting

EX: Hematemesis: vomiting of blood

Question 6

-emia

Answer 6

Presence of a substance in the blood

Question 6

-emia

Answer 6

Presence of a substance in the blood

EX: Anemia: lacking enough red blood cells

Question 7

-genic

Answer 7

Causing

EX: Carcinogenic: potential to cause cancer

Question 8

-gram

Answer 8

Record

EX: Electrocardiogram: one of the simplest and fastest tests used to evaluate the heart

Question 9

-graph

Answer 9

Instrument used to create a record

EX: Electrocardiograph: an instrument that records surface potentials associated with the electrical activity of the heart

Question 10

-itis

Answer 10

Inflammation

EX: Colitis: Inflammation of the colon

Question 11

-megaly

Answer 11

Enlargement of

EX: Gastromegaly: enlargement of the abdomen or the stomach

Question 11

-megaly

Answer 11

Enlargement of

Question 12

-meter

Answer 12

Measuring instrument

EX: Thermometer: an instrument for measuring and indicating temperature

Question 13

-osis

Answer 13

Disease process

EX: Erythrocytosis: increased production of red blood cells

Question 14

-phagia

Answer 14

Eating or swallowing

EX: Dysphagia: difficulty swallowing

Question 15

-phasia

Answer 15

Speech

EX: Aphasia: loss of ability to understand or express speech

Question 16

-plegia

Answer 16

Paralysis

Question 17

-plegia

Answer 17

Paralysis

EX: Ophthalmoplegia: paralysis of the extraocular muscles that control the movements of the eye

Question 18

-lysis

Answer 18

Decline or disintegration

EX: Thrombolysis: treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in blood vessels

Question 19

-pnea

Answer 19

Breathing

EX: Dyspnea: difficulty breathing

Question 20

-stasis

Answer 20

Slowly stopping the flow of fluid or discharge

EX: Hemostasis: stopping of a flow of blood

Question 21

-rrhage/rrhagia

Answer 21

Abnormal/excessive flow of discharge

EX: Hemorrhage: release of blood from a broken blood vessel, either inside or outside the body

Question 22

-ptosis

Answer 22

Drooping

EX: Nephroptosis: a condition in which the kidney descends more than 2 vertebral bodies during a position change from supine to upright