Chapter 2: Suffixes and Combining Forms Made Easy

Chapter 2: Suffixes and Combining Forms Made Easy

• Main focus: Identifying the foundation of medical terms and mastering word parts to decode complex terminology.

• Foundation of terms: Most medical terms use combining forms as their foundation.

• Universal anatomical coverage: Every body structure has an associated combining form.

• Example of word building: Combining the word root/combining form append/o (appendix) with the suffix -ectomy (surgical removal) results in the term appendectomy.

• Copyright information: Materials are sourced from Elsevier Inc., $2017$.

Learning Objectives

• Write the meanings of Chapter $2$ word parts or match them with their specific meanings.

• Successfully match medical specialists with their respective areas of specialization.

• Identify common medical conditions associated with each clinical specialty.

• Correctly identify suffixes related to surgical procedures, symptoms, and diagnoses.

• Identify combining forms for specific body structures.

• Build and analyze medical terms using relevant combining forms and suffixes.

• Write correct medical terms when provided with definitions or match terms to definitions.

• Demonstrate correct spelling of all medical terms.

Suffixes: Specialists and Specialties

General Practice and Practitioners

• -er, -ist: Defined as "one who."

• -iatrician: Defined as a "practitioner."

• -iatrics, -iatry: Refers to the "medical profession or treatment."

Study and Science

• -logist: Defined as "one who studies" or a "specialist."

• -logy: Defined as the "study or science of."

• -logic, -logical: Defined as "pertaining to the study of."

Pertaining To

• -ac, -al, -ic: Suffixes meaning "pertaining to."

• -ical: A combination of -ic + -al, also meaning "pertaining to."

Combining Forms: Selected Medical Specialties

• cardi/o: Heart

• crin/o: To secrete

• dermat/o: Skin

• esthesi/o: Sensation

• gastr/o: Stomach

• enter/o: Intestines (often used as gastroenterology for the study of the stomach and intestines)

• ger/a, ger/o, geront/o: Elderly or aged

• gynec/o: Female

• immun/o: Immune

• neur/o: Nerve

• obstetr/o: Midwife

• onc/o: Tumor

• ophthalm/o: Eye

• orth/o: Straight

• ot/o: Ear

• laryng/o: Larynx or voice box

• path/o: Disease

• ped/o: Child (Note: in some contexts, ped/o can also refer to the foot)

• ne/o: New

• nat/o: Birth

• psych/o: Mind

• radi/o: Radiation

• rheumat/o: Rheumatism

• rhin/o: Nose

• ur/o: Urinary tract (sometimes refers to urine)

Terms Related to Medical Specialties

• Pathology: The study of disease.

• Pathologist: One who studies diseases.

• Pathologic / Pathological: Pertaining to disease.

• Neurologist: A specialist in the study of nerves.

• Orthopedics: The medical specialty concerned with correction of deformities or functional impairments of the skeletal system (literally "straight child").

• Orthopedist: A specialist in orthopedics.

• Hospitalist: A physician whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients.

• Psychiatry: The medical treatment of the mind.

• Psychiatrist: A medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.

• Psychology: The science of the mind.

• Psychologist: A specialist in the study of the mind (not necessarily a medical doctor).

• Intensivist: A physician who specializes in the care of critically ill patients, usually in an intensive care unit (ICU).

• Epidemiologist: A specialist in the study of how diseases spread and can be controlled.

• Therapist: A person skilled in a particular kind of therapy.

• Forensic Medicine: A branch of medicine that deals with the application of medical knowledge to legal problems and proceedings.

Anesthesia Specialties

• Anesthesiologist: A physician who specializes in administering anesthetic agents.

• Anesthetist: A person (often a nurse) trained to administer anesthetics.

• Anesthetic: Pertaining to or causing a loss of sensation.

• Local anesthetic: Sensation loss confined to a specific small area.

• General anesthetic: Sensation loss involving the entire body, often accompanied by loss of consciousness.

Suffixes: Surgical Procedures

• -centesis: Surgical puncture (e.g., to remove fluid).

• -ectomy: Surgical removal, excision, or resection.

• -lysis: Loosening, destruction, or breakdown.

• -pexy: Surgical fixation or suspension.

• -plasty: Surgical repair or reconstruction.

• -rrhaphy: Suture (e.g., stitching together).

• -scopy: Visual examination with an instrument.

• -stomy: Formation of an opening (stoma).

• -tome: An instrument used to cut.

• -tomy: Incision or cutting into.

• -tripsy: Surgical crushing.

Examples of Surgical Interventions

• Amniocentesis: A surgical puncture of the amnion to remove fluid for analysis. Key components involve the uterine wall, placenta, and the amnion.

• Lithotripsy: The surgical crushing of stones (e.g., kidney stones). This procedure utilizes a reflector, electrode, and gel pad to fracture the stones.

• Colopexy: Surgical fixation of the colon.

• Mastectomy: Surgical removal of a breast.

• Biopsy: Removal of living tissue for microscopic examination.

• Lumpectomy: Surgical removal of a lump (often a tumor from the breast).

• Mammoplasty: Surgical repair of the breast (e.g., augmentation mammoplasty involving a silicone implant placed under the pectoralis muscle).

• Otoplasty: Surgical repair of the ear (used for conditions like microtia).

• Dermatoplasty: Surgical repair of the skin.

• Ophthalmoplasty: Surgical repair of the eye.

• Dermatome: An instrument used to cut thin slices of skin.

• Encephalotome: An instrument used to cut brain tissue.

• Cerebrotomy: Incision into the brain.

• Angioplasty: Surgical repair of a vessel.

• Angiectomy: Surgical removal of a vessel.

• Otoscopy: Visual examination of the ear using an otoscope.

Combining Forms: Selected Body Structures

• aden/o: Gland

• angi/o: Vessel

• append/o, appendic/o: Appendix

• bi/o: Life

• blephar/o: Eyelid

• cerebr/o: Brain

• encephal/o: Brain

• chir/o: Hand

• col/o: Colon or large intestine

• cutane/o, derm/o, dermat/o: Skin

• faci/o: Face

• hepat/o: Liver

• mamm/o, mast/o: Breast

• muscul/o, my/o: Muscle

• myel/o: Bone marrow or spinal cord

• oste/o: Bone

• pulm/o, pulmon/o, pneum/o: Lung

• tonsill/o: Tonsils

• trache/o: Trachea (windpipe)

• vas/o: Vessel

Suffixes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Miscellaneous

Symptoms or Diagnosis

• -algia, -dynia: Pain.

• -cele: Hernia or protrusion.

• -ectasia, -ectasis: Dilation or dilatation.

• -edema: Swelling (e.g., lymphedema).

• -emesis: Vomiting.

• -emia: Blood condition.

• -ia, -iasis: Condition.

• -itis: Inflammation (e.g., dermatitis).

• -lith: Stone.

• -malacia: Soft or softening (e.g., osteomalacia).

• -mania: Excessive preoccupation.

• -megaly: Enlargement.

• -oid: Resembling (e.g., mucoid).

• -oma: Tumor (e.g., carcinoma).

• -osis: Condition.

• -pathy: Disease.

• -penia: Deficiency.

• -phobia: Fear.

• -ptosis: Prolapse or sagging.

• -rrhage, -rrhagia: Hemorrhage (excessive flow).

• -rrhea: Flow or discharge (e.g., rhinorrhea).

• -rrhexis: Rupture.

• -spasm: Cramp or twitching.

• -stasis: Stopping or controlling.

Miscellaneous Suffixes

• -able, -ible: Capable of.

• -an, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ive, -tic: Pertaining to.

• -ase: Enzyme.

• -eum, -ium: Membrane.

• -ia, -ism: Condition or theory.

• -iac: One who suffers.

• -opia: Vision.

• -ose: Sugar.

• -ous: Pertaining to or characterized by.

• -y: State or condition.

Miscellaneous Word Parts

• adip/o, lip/o: Fat

• amyl/o: Starch

• glyc/o: Sugar

• hemat/o: Blood

• lact/o: Milk

• lith/o: Stone

• micro-: Small

• muc/o: Mucus

• prote/o, protein/o: Protein

• pyr/o: Fire (associated with fever or heat)

Acronyms and Abbreviations

• CA: Cancer

• ED: Emergency Department

• ENT: Ear, Nose, and Throat

• ER: Emergency Room

• GP: General Practitioner

• GYN, Gyn, gyn: Gynecology

• ICU: Intensive Care Unit

• OB: Obstetrics

Questions & Discussion

• Question: Select the medical specialty of an otorhinolaryngologist.

  • Choice A: eyes

  • Choice B: tumors

  • Choice C: ears, nose, and throat

  • Choice D: skin

  • Answer: Choice C: ears, nose, and throat.

• Question: What does the suffix -centesis mean?

  • Choice A: process of loosening

  • Choice B: surgical puncture

  • Choice C: surgical fixation

  • Choice D: surgical crushing

  • Answer: Choice B: surgical puncture.

• Question: What does rhinorrhea mean?

  • Choice A: inflammation of the brain

  • Choice B: softening of bone

  • Choice C: sagging of the eyelid

  • Choice D: runny nose

  • Answer: Choice D: runny nose.