Common suffixes Flashcards
-ac / -al / -ic / -ical
Pertaining to
-aemia
Relates to the blood
Example: Ischaemia- reduced or deficient blood supply
Viraemia- the presence of virus particles in the bloodstream
-algia
Pain
-ase
enzyme
-blast
immature/ embryonic
-centesis
Surgical puncture to remove fluid or gas
-clast
to break
-crine
separate/ to secrete
-cyte(cyto- is the prefix used)
Cell
Example: Erythrocyte- red blood cell
Chondrocyte- cartilage cell
Hepatocyte- liver cell
-cytosis
Increase in cell number/ condition of cells
-drome
To run
-ectomy
Surgical removal of
Example: Thyroidectomy- removal of the thyroid gland
-emesis
vomiting
-emia
Blood condition
-emic
Pertaining to a blood condition
-er
one who
-exia
condition/pathology
-gen, -genesis
forming/ producing
-genic
Produced by or in
-genic
Giving rise to, causing
Example: Pathogenic- causing disease
Carcinogenic- causing neoplasia or cancer
-gram
Record
-grade
to go
-graph
Instrument for recording
-graphy
Process of recording
-ia / -ion / -ism / -sis
process/ condition
-ia/ -iasis
Condition or State
Example: Hypoplasia- incomplete development of an organ
Distichiasis- presence of a double row of eyelashes
-ion
Process
-ist
Specialist
-itis
Inflammation
Example: Arthritis- inflammation of a joint
Hepatitis- inflammation of he liver
Conjunctivitis- inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye
-ive
relating to
-kinesis
movement
-logist
specialist
-logy
Study of
-lysis
breakdown
-malacia
softening
-megaly
enlargement
-meter
device for measurement/ to measure
-ole, -elle, -ule
little/ small
-oma
Tumour, neoplasm, mass, fluid collection
Example: Sarcoma- malignant tumour
Lipoma- benign tumour of adipose tissue
-opsy
View of/ to view
-or
one who
-osis / -iasis
Disease order or state / abnormal condition
Example: Osteochondrosis- a developmental disease of articular cartilage
-ostomy
Surgical opening
Example: Tracheostomy- opening into the trachea
Colostomy- opening into the colon
-paresis
slight paralysis/ weakening
-pathy
Disease condition, emotion
-penia
decrease/ dificiency
-pexy
surgical fixation
-phage
eat/ swallow
-philia
attraction for/ increase in cell #
-physis
to grow
-plasia
development/ formation/ growth
-plasty
surgical repair
-plegia
paralysis
-pnea
breathing
-poiesis
formation
-rhexis
rupture
-rrhage / -rrhagia
bursting forth
-rrhea
discharge/ flow
-scope
Instrument for visual examination
-scopy
Visual examination
-sis
State of, condition
-stalsis
controlling/ stopping
-stomy
new opening to outside of body
-therapy
treatment
-thorax
chest/ pleural cavity
-tomy
Incision, peocess of cutting into
-trophy
development/ nourishment
-um, -us
structure/ thing/tissue
