Medical Terminology - Suffixes Flashcards
-al
Pertaining to
EX: Intestinal: pertaining to the intestines
-algia
Pertaining to pain
EX: Myalgia: muscle pain
-cyte
Cell
EX: Leukocyte: white blood cell
-ectomy
Surgical removal of
EX: Hysterectomy: surgical procedure to remove the womb
-emesis
Vomiting
EX: Hematemesis: vomiting of blood
-emia
Presence of a substance in the blood
-emia
Presence of a substance in the blood
EX: Anemia: lacking enough red blood cells
-genic
Causing
EX: Carcinogenic: potential to cause cancer
-gram
Record
EX: Electrocardiogram: one of the simplest and fastest tests used to evaluate the heart
-graph
Instrument used to create a record
EX: Electrocardiograph: an instrument that records surface potentials associated with the electrical activity of the heart
-itis
Inflammation
EX: Colitis: Inflammation of the colon
-megaly
Enlargement of
EX: Gastromegaly: enlargement of the abdomen or the stomach
-megaly
Enlargement of
-meter
Measuring instrument
EX: Thermometer: an instrument for measuring and indicating temperature
-osis
Disease process
EX: Erythrocytosis: increased production of red blood cells
-phagia
Eating or swallowing
EX: Dysphagia: difficulty swallowing
-phasia
Speech
EX: Aphasia: loss of ability to understand or express speech
-plegia
Paralysis
-plegia
Paralysis
EX: Ophthalmoplegia: paralysis of the extraocular muscles that control the movements of the eye
-lysis
Decline or disintegration
EX: Thrombolysis: treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in blood vessels
-pnea
Breathing
EX: Dyspnea: difficulty breathing
-stasis
Slowly stopping the flow of fluid or discharge
EX: Hemostasis: stopping of a flow of blood
-rrhage/rrhagia
Abnormal/excessive flow of discharge
EX: Hemorrhage: release of blood from a broken blood vessel, either inside or outside the body
-ptosis
Drooping
EX: Nephroptosis: a condition in which the kidney descends more than 2 vertebral bodies during a position change from supine to upright
