Lecture Notes
Classroom Activity to
Accompany Medical
Terminology Systems, Sixth
Edition
Barbara A. Gylys ∙ Mary Ellen Wedding
SUFFIXES
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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
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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
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Suffixes
Major Types of Suffixes
• Surgical
• Diagnostic, pathological, and related
• Grammatical and diminutive
• Singular and plural
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Suffixes
Surgical Suffixes
• Describe a type of invasive procedure
performed on a body part
• append/ectomy
• arthr/o/centesis
• lith/o/tripsy
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Suffixes
Identify the Surgical Suffix Exercise
1. excision, removal:
2. surgical puncture:
3. crushing:
4. separation; destruction; loosening:
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Identify the Surgical Suffix
Exercise
1. excision, removal: -ectomy
2. surgical puncture: -centesis
3. crushing: -tripsy
4. separation; destruction; loosening: -lysis
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Identify the Surgical Suffix
Exercise
5.to break; surgical fracture:
6.fixation (of an organ):
7.suture:
8.surgical repair:
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Identify the Surgical Suffix
Exercise
5.to break; surgical fracture: -clasis
6.fixation (of an organ): -pexy
7.suture: -rrhaphy
8.surgical repair: -plasty
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Identify the Surgical Suffix
Exercise
• 9. forming an opening (mouth):
• 10. binding, fixation (of a bone or joint):
• 11. instrument to cut:
• 12. incision:
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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
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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
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Identify the Diagnostic Suffix
Exercise
1.instrument for examining:
2.visual examination:
3.instrument for recording:
4.process of recording:
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Identify the Diagnostic Suffix
Exercise
1.instrument for examining: -scope
2.visual examination: -scopy
3.instrument for recording: -graph
4.process of recording: -graphy
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Identify the Diagnostic Suffix
Exercise
5.instrument for measuring:
6.act of measuring:
7.record, writing:
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
5.instrument for measuring: -meter
6.act of measuring: -metry
7.record, writing: -gram
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
•Pathological suffixes
• Describe an abnormal condition or a
disease
• neur/algia
• gastr/itis
• hem/o/rrhage
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
1.pain:
2.formation, growth:
3.forming, producing, origin:
4.bursting forth (of):
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
1.pain: -algia, -dynia
2.formation, growth: -plasia, -plasm
3.forming, producing, origin: -gen, -genesis
4.bursting forth (of): -rrhage, -rrhagia
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
5.swelling:
6.hernia, swelling:
7.stone, calculus:
8.abnormal condition; increase (used
primarily with blood cells):
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
5.swelling: -edema
6.hernia, swelling: -cele
7.stone, calculus: -lith
8.abnormal condition; increase (used
primarily with blood cells): -osis
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
• 9. involuntary contraction, twitching:
• 10. narrowing, stricture:
• 11. discharge, flow:
• 12. disease:
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
• 9. involuntary contraction, twitching: -spasm
• 10. narrowing, stricture: -stenosis
• 11. discharge, flow: -rrhea
• 12. disease: -pathy
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
13.inflammation:
14.tumor:
15.rupture:
16.paralysis:
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
13.inflammation: -itis
14.tumor: -oma
15.rupture: -rrhexis
16.paralysis: -plegia
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
17.dilation, expansion:
18.vomiting:
19.blood condition:
20.abnormal condition (produced by
something specified):
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Identify the Pathological
Suffix Exercise
17.dilation, expansion: -ectasis
18.vomiting: -emesis
19.blood condition: -emia
20.abnormal condition (produced by
something specified): -iasis
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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)
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Grammatical and Diminutive
Suffixes (continued)
•Diminutive suffixes
• Denote a smaller version of a word
• tub/ule (small, minute)
• arteri/ole (small, minute)
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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:
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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
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Define Grammatical and
Diminutive Suffixes Exercise
• 4. Noun suffix –iatry means:
• 5. Diminutive suffixes –icle, -ole, and –ule
mean:
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Define Grammatical and
Diminutive Suffixes Exercise
• 4. Noun suffix –iatry means: medicine;
treatment
• 5. Diminutive suffixes –icle, -ole, and –ule
mean: small, minute
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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
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Singular and Plural Terms
Exercise
Change the following terms to their plural
form.
1. thrombus:
2. ovum:
3. fungus:
4. diagnosis:
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Singular and Plural Terms
Exercise
1.thrombus: thrombi
2.ovum: ova
3.fungus: fungi
4.diagnosis: diagnoses
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
1.crushing of a stone: lith/o/
2.forming a new opening (mouth) in the
colon:
colon/o/
3.excision, removal of the appendix:
/
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
1.crushing of a stone: lith/o/tripsy
2.forming a new opening (mouth) in the
colon:
colon/o/stomy
3.excision, removal of the appendix:
append/ectomy
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
4.disease of the joint(s): arthr/ /
5.instrument to examine a joint:
/o/
6.inflammation of the stomach:
/
7.surgical puncture of a joint:
/o/
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
4.disease of the joint(s): arthr/o/pathy
5.instrument to examine a joint: arthr/o/scope
6.inflammation of the stomach: gastr/itis
7.surgical puncture of a joint: arthr/o/centesis
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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/
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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
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
11.instrument for recording the heart: cardi/o/
12.record of electrical activity of the heart:
electr/o/cardi/
/
13.pain of a nerve:
/
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
11.instrument for recording the heart:
cardi/o/graph
12.record of electrical activity of the heart:
electr/o/cardi/o/gram
13.pain of a nerve:
neur/algia
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
14.forming, producing, origin of cancer:
carcin/ /
15.softening of bone: oste/o/
16.abnormal condition of stones:
/
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
14.forming, producing, origin of cancer:
carcin/o/gen or carcin/o/genesis
15.softening of bone: oste/o/ malacia
16.abnormal condition of stones: lith/iasis
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
17. hernia, swelling of the liver:
hepat/ /
18. swelling of a lymph gland: lymph/
19. tumor composed of lymph tissue:
lymph/
20. bursting forth (of) blood: hem/o/
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Complete the Medical Word
Exercise
17.hernia, swelling of the liver:
hepat/o/cele
18.swelling of a lymph gland: lymph/edema
19.tumor composed of lymph tissue:
lymph/oma
20.bursting forth (of) blood: hem/o/rrhage
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