Medical Terminology: Suffixes and Combining Forms

Flashcards covering medical suffixes, surgical procedure terms, and common word roots (combining forms) from the lecture notes.

Suffix

The end of a word that indicates a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.

-algia

pain

-cele

abnormal protrusion

-emesis

vomiting

-itis

inflammation

-lysis

destruction

-malacia

softening

-megaly

enlargement

-necrosis

tissue death

-osis

abnormal condition

-oma

tumor

-pathy

disease, suffering

-ptosis

sagging or drooping

-sclerosis

abnormal hardening

-stenosis

abnormal narrowing

neuralgia

pain in the nerves

myocele

abnormal protrusion of muscle; hernia

hyperemesis

excessive vomiting

hemolysis

destruction of red blood cells

osteomalacia

softening of the bone

cardiomegaly

enlargement of the heart

arterionecrosis

tissue death of an artery or arteries

carcinoma

a malignant tumor

myopathy

disease of the muscle

blepharoptosis

drooping of the upper eyelid

arteriosclerosis

hardening of an artery or arteries

arteriostenosis

narrowing of an artery or arteries

-centesis

surgical puncture

-ectomy

surgical removal

-gram

a record

-graphy

the process of recording

-ostomy

surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface

-otomy

cutting or surgical incision

-plasty

surgical repair

-scopy

visual examination

abdominocentesis

surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity to remove fluid

electrocardiogram

a recording of the heartbeat

colostomy

surgical creation of an artificial excretory opening between the colon and body surface

phlebotomy

the puncture of a vein for the purpose of drawing blood

valvoplasty

surgical repair or replacement of a faulty heart valve

laparoscopy

visual examination of the interior of the abdomen with laparoscope

-rrhage, -rrhagia

bleeding (sudden, severe flow)

-rrhaphy

surgical suturing

-rrhea

flow (of body fluids)

-rrhexis

rupture

myorrhaphy

surgical suturing of muscle

amenorrhea

absence of menstrual flow

myorrhexis

rupture of muscle

alg(o)-, alge-, algesi(o)-

Pain

arthr(o)-

Joint

bacteri(o)-

Bacteria

blephar(o)-

Eyelid

cerebr(o)-

Cerebrum

cyan(o)-

Blue

dermat(o)-, derm(o)-

Skin

erythr(o)-

Red

gluc(o)-

Sugar, glucose

leuk(o)-

White

melan(o)-

Black

myel(o)-

Spinal cord

ophthalm(o)-

Eye

pancreat(o)-

Pancreas

phon(o)-

Voice

poli(o)-

Gray

Cyanosis

blue discoloration of the skin from a lack of oxygen

Poliomyelitis

inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord