1. 2 Lecture Notes SUFFIXES
Classroom Activity to Accompany Medical Terminology Systems, Sixth Edition
Barbara A. Gylys ∙ Mary Ellen Wedding

2. Suffix Suffixes Word element placed at the end of a word2
Suffixes
Suffix
Word element placed at the end of a word
Changes the meaning of a medical word
Used to denote singular and plural forms of a word
Used to denote a part of speech 2

3. Linking a Suffix Suffixes2
Suffixes
Linking a Suffix
Word root (WR) links a suffix that begins with a vowel.
Example: gastr/itis
Combining form (CF) links a suffix that begins with a consonant.
Example: gastr/o/scopy 3

4. Major Types of Suffixes2
Suffixes
Major Types of Suffixes
Surgical
Diagnostic, pathological, and related
Grammatical and diminutive
Singular and plural 4

5. Surgical Suffixes Suffixes2
Suffixes
Surgical Suffixes
Describe a type of invasive procedure performed on a body part
append/ectomy
arthr/o/centesis
lith/o/tripsy 5

6. Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise2
Suffixes
Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
excision, removal:
surgical puncture:
crushing:
separation; destruction; loosening: 6

7. Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
excision, removal: -ectomy
surgical puncture: -centesis
crushing: -tripsy
separation; destruction; loosening: -lysis

8. Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
to break; surgical fracture:
fixation (of an organ):
suture:
surgical repair:

9. Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
to break; surgical fracture: -clasis
fixation (of an organ): -pexy
suture: -rrhaphy
surgical repair: -plasty

10. Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
9. forming an opening (mouth):
10. binding, fixation (of a bone or joint):
11. instrument to cut:
12. incision:

11. Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
9. forming an opening (mouth): -stomy
10. binding, fixation (of a bone or joint): - desis
11. instrument to cut: -tome
12. incision: -tomy

12. Diagnostic and Pathological Suffixes
Diagnostic suffixes
Denote a procedure or test performed to identify the cause and nature of an illness
electr/o/cardio/gram (ECG)
gastr/o/scopy

13. Identify the Diagnostic Suffix Exercise
instrument for examining:
visual examination:
instrument for recording:
process of recording:

14. Identify the Diagnostic Suffix Exercise
instrument for examining: -scope
visual examination: -scopy
instrument for recording: -graph
process of recording: -graphy

15. Identify the Diagnostic Suffix Exercise
instrument for measuring:
act of measuring:
record, writing:

16. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
instrument for measuring: -meter
act of measuring: -metry
record, writing: -gram

17. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
Pathological suffixes
Describe an abnormal condition or a disease
neur/algia
gastr/itis
hem/o/rrhage

18. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
pain:
formation, growth:
forming, producing, origin:
bursting forth (of):

19. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
pain: -algia, -dynia
formation, growth: -plasia, -plasm
forming, producing, origin: -gen, -genesis
bursting forth (of): -rrhage, -rrhagia

20. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
swelling:
hernia, swelling:
stone, calculus:
abnormal condition; increase (used primarily with blood cells):

21. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
swelling: -edema
hernia, swelling: -cele
stone, calculus: -lith
abnormal condition; increase (used primarily with blood cells): -osis

22. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
9. involuntary contraction, twitching:
10. narrowing, stricture:
11. discharge, flow:
12. disease:

23. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
9. involuntary contraction, twitching: -spasm
10. narrowing, stricture: -stenosis
11. discharge, flow: -rrhea
12. disease: -pathy

24. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
inflammation:
tumor:
rupture:
paralysis:

25. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
inflammation: -itis
tumor: -oma
rupture: -rrhexis
paralysis: -plegia

26. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
dilation, expansion:
vomiting:
blood condition:
abnormal condition (produced by something specified):

27. Identify the Pathological Suffix Exercise
dilation, expansion: -ectasis
vomiting: -emesis
blood condition: -emia
abnormal condition (produced by something specified): -iasis

28. Grammatical and Diminutive Suffixes
Grammatical suffixes
Attached to word roots to form parts of speech, such as adjectives and nouns
gastr/ic (adjective)
neur/al (adjective)
obstetr/ician (noun)
pneumon/ia (noun)

29. Grammatical and Diminutive Suffixes (continued)
Denote a smaller version of a word
tub/ule (small, minute)
arteri/ole (small, minute)

30. Define Grammatical and Diminutive Suffixes Exercise
1. Adjective suffixes –ac, –al, -ar, -ary, -ic, -ile, and –ous mean:
2. Noun suffixes –esis, -ia, and –ism mean:
3. Noun suffixes –ician and –ist mean:

31. Define Grammatical and Diminutive Suffixes Exercise
1. Adjective suffixes –ac, –al, -ar, -ary, -ic, -ile, and –ous mean: pertaining to
2. Noun suffixes –esis, -ia, and –ism mean: condition
3. Noun suffixes –ician and –ist mean: specialist

32. Define Grammatical and Diminutive Suffixes Exercise
4. Noun suffix –iatry means:
5. Diminutive suffixes –icle, -ole, and –ule mean:

33. Define Grammatical and Diminutive Suffixes Exercise
4. Noun suffix –iatry means: medicine; treatment
5. Diminutive suffixes –icle, -ole, and –ule mean: small, minute

34. Singular and Plural Suffixes
Changes when a word is modified from a singular to a plural form
diagno/sis to diagno/ses
bronch/us to bron/chi
deform/ity to deformi/ities

35. Singular and Plural Terms Exercise
Change the following terms to their plural form.
thrombus:
ovum:
fungus:
diagnosis:

36. Singular and Plural Terms Exercise
thrombus: thrombi
ovum: ova
fungus: fungi
diagnosis: diagnoses

37. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
crushing of a stone: lith/o/
forming a new opening (mouth) in the colon: colon/o/
excision, removal of the appendix: /

38. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
crushing of a stone: lith/o/tripsy
forming a new opening (mouth) in the colon: colon/o/stomy
excision, removal of the appendix: append/ectomy

39. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
disease of the joint(s): arthr/ /
instrument to examine a joint: /o/
inflammation of the stomach: /
surgical puncture of a joint: /o/

40. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
disease of the joint(s): arthr/o/pathy
instrument to examine a joint: arthr/o/scope
inflammation of the stomach: gastr/itis
surgical puncture of a joint: arthr/o/centesis

41. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
8. suture of muscle(s): my/o/
9. binding, fixation (of a joint): arthr/o/
10. forming an opening (mouth) into the trachea: /o/

42. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
8. suture of muscle(s): my/o/rrhaphy
9. binding, fixation (of a joint): arthr/o/desis
10. forming an opening (mouth) into the trachea: trache/o/stomy

43. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
instrument for recording the heart: cardi/o/
record of electrical activity of the heart: electr/o/cardi/ /
pain of a nerve: /

44. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
instrument for recording the heart: cardi/o/graph
record of electrical activity of the heart: electr/o/cardi/o/gram
pain of a nerve: neur/algia

45. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
forming, producing, origin of cancer: carcin/ /
softening of bone: oste/o/
abnormal condition of stones: /

46. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
forming, producing, origin of cancer: carcin/o/gen or carcin/o/genesis
softening of bone: oste/o/ malacia
abnormal condition of stones: lith/iasis

47. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
hernia, swelling of the liver: hepat/ /
swelling of a lymph gland: lymph/
tumor composed of lymph tissue: lymph/
bursting forth (of) blood: hem/o/

48. Complete the Medical Word Exercise
hernia, swelling of the liver: hepat/o/cele
swelling of a lymph gland: lymph/edema
tumor composed of lymph tissue: lymph/oma
bursting forth (of) blood: hem/o/rrhage