Suffixes for Pathology

Suffixes as Noun Endings

-a, -um, -y, -e, -us

Suffixes as Adjectives (Meaning "Pertaining to")

-ac, -al, -an, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ial, -ic, -ical, -ine, -ior, -ory, -ous, -tic

Suffixes for Pathology (Meaning "Abnormal Condition or Disease")

-ago, -esis, -ia, -iasis, -ion, -ism, osis

Pan-

All (pancytopenia)

Plasia

Development, formation, growth (dysplasia)

In-

Into, within (incision)

An exceptionally large head or cranium

Macro-____cephaly (macro)

The use of a single (one) drug to treat a particular disorder or disease.

Mono-_____therapy (mono)

Or

One who (doctor)

The combining form oste/o means bone. Finish the term that means an instrument used to cut bone.

Osteotome

Ose

Pertaining to, full of (lactose)

The prefix pro- means forward. Finish the term that means sag forward.

Prolapse

The prefix syn- means together. Finish the term that means a group of signs and symptoms that occur (run) together.

Syndrome

Abnormally rapid (fast) breathing

Tachy-____pnea (tachy)

Drome

To run (syndrome)

Mission

To send (transmission)

Opsy

To view, view of (biopsy)

The prefix trans- means across. Finish the term that means to send across.

Transmission

The vibrations of the same physical nature as sound but with frequencies above (in excess of) the range of human hearing.

Ultra- _____ sound (ultra)

The combining form ven/o means vein. Finish the term that means an involuntary contraction of the vein.

Venospasm

Con-

With, together (congenital anomaly)

abdomin/o

abdomen (abdominal)

Post-

after, behind (postmortem)

Ab-

away from

Re-

back, again (relapse)

Mal-

bad (malaise)

Ante-

before, forward (anteflexion)

Pro-

before, forward (prolapse)

Pros-

before, forward (prosthesis)

Pre-

before, in front of (precancerous)

-coccus

berry-shaped bacterium (staphylococcus)

Inter

between

Meta-

beyond, change (metacarpal bones)

-desis

binding, fixation (of a bone or joint)

-emia

blood condition

The opposite of indication. Indication is a reason to use a certain treatment.

contra-____indication (contra)

Hypo-

deficient, below, under, less than normal

plas/i, plas/o

development, growth, formation (hyperplasia)

-ectasis

dilation, expansion

-pathy

disease

path/o

disease, suffering, feeling, emotion (pathogenic)

Cata-

down (catabolism)

De-

down, lack of (dehydration)

-megaly

enlargement

Characterized by normal thyroid function

eu- thyroid (eu)

Hyper-

excessive, above

Eu-

good, well

Ptom

happening, occurrence (symptom)

The surgical excision of one lateral half of the tongue

hemi-___glossectomy (hemi)

Excess of sugar in the blood

hyper-____glycemia (hyper-)

-blastoma

immature tumor (retinoblastoma)

-itis

inflammation

What is the meaning of -graph?

instrument for recording

What is the meaning of -scope?

instrument for visual examination

Macro-

large

What is the meaning of -iatry?

medicine, treatment

umbilic/o

navel, umbilicus (umbilical)

Neo-

new (neonatal)

theli/o, thel/o

nipple, nipple shaped (epithelial cell)

-opaque

obscure (radiopaque)

Er

one who (radiographer)

The combining form oste/o means bone. Finish the term that means an instrument used to cut bone.

osteotome

Allo-

other, differing from the normal (allograft)

Ec-

out, outside (ectopic pregnancy)

Ex-, Exo-

out, outside of, outward

-algia

pain

-ic

pertaining to

iac

pertaining to (cardiac)

Having a nucleus with several (many) lobes and a cytoplasm that contains granules.

poly- morphonuclear (poly)

ion

process (conduction)

Genic

producing, produced by, produced in (iatrogenic)

The prefix pro- means forward. Finish the term that means sag forward.

prolapse

Micro

small

What is the meaning of -icle?

small, minute

Sis

state, condition (sepsis)

Us

structure, substance, thing (microcephalus)

ium

structure, tissue (pericardium)

Logy

study (process of); (biology)

What is the meaning of -gen

substance that produces

Situated occurring, or performed from above the pubis

supra-___pubic

-centesis

surgical puncture

The prefix syn- means together. Finish the term that means a group of signs and symptoms that occur (run) together.

syndrome

Per-

through (percutaneous)

-lucent

to shine (radiolucent)

Lapse

to slide, fall, sag (prolapse)

Syn-

together, with (symbiosis)

Sym-

together, with (synthesis)

Ad-

toward

The prefix trans- means across. Finish the term that means to send across.

transmission

Sub

under, below

Ana-

up, apart (anabolism)

The combining form ven/o means vein. Finish the term that means an involuntary contraction of the vein.

venospasm