Suffix

A suffix is a word ending that modifies a root. A suffix may indicate that the word is a noun or an adjective and often determines how the definition of the word will begin. For example, using the root myel/o,（ poliomyelitis ） meaning “bone marrow,” the adjective ending -oid forms the word myeloid, which means “like or pertaining to bone marrow.” The ending -oma produces myeloma, which is a tumor of the bone marrow. Adding gen, which represents genesis or origin, and the adjective ending -ous forms the word myelogenous, meaning “originating in bone marrow.”

ClassificationTable1:Suffixes that mean "condition of"

Suffix

Example

Definition of example

-ia Hypoxia( 组织缺氧 )

insufficient amount of oxygen

-ism alcoholism Alcoholic Intoxication

-sis Sclerosis（硬化症）

hardening

-y tetany sustained muscle contraction （肌肉抽搐）

Suffix Meaning Example Definition of example

-ian specialist in a field of study

physician practitioner of medicine

-ist specialist in a field of study

cardiologist specialist in the study and treatment of the heart

-logy study of physiology Study of function in a living organism

-ics medical specialty Orthopedics（整形手术）

A surgical specialty which utilizes medical, surgical, and physical methods to treat and correct deformities

-iatrics medical specialty Pediatrics （小儿科）

A medical specialty concerned with maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth to adolescence

-iatry medical specialty psychiatry The medical science that deals with the origin, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders

Table2:Suffixes for medical specialties

Table 3:Suffixes for a group of substance

Suffix Meaning Example

Chinese meaning

-cyte cell leukocyte 白细胞-ase enzyme oxidase 氧化酶-oma cancer,tumor lipoma 脂肪瘤-ol alcohol sorbitol 山梨醇-ose sugar glucose 葡萄糖-ate salt phosphate 磷酸盐

Table 4:Suffixes that mean “pertaining to（属于，关于）” or “resembling（像） "

Suffix Example Definition of example

-ac cardiac pertaining to the heart

-al skeletal pertaining to the skeleton

-ar muscular pertaining to muscles

-ary pulmonary pertaining to lung

-form muciform like or resembling mucus

-ical anatomical pertaining to anatomy

-oid toxoid resembling toxin (poison)

-ory Respiratory pertaining to respiration

-ous venous pertaining to a vein

Simple suffix: several letters that can form noun and adjective, such as -itis, -ia, -oid, -osis, -y etc.

Compound suffix :is composed of part of the root and simple suffix.

scopy= scop + y stomy=stom + y uria=ur + ia emia = em + ia

Table 5:Compound suffixes for disease and physiological condition

elcosis ulceration 形成溃疡 helc+sis

lithiasis stone formation 结石 lith+sis

malacia softening 软化 malac+ia

mycosis disease induced by fungus 霉菌病 myc( 真菌 )+sis

necrosis death of tissue or bone 坏死 necro+sis

pyosis pus formation 化脓 pyo( 脓 pus)+sis

sclerosis hardening 硬化 scler+sis

stenosis narrowing 狭窄 steno+sis

Gastrelcosis （胃溃疡） Nephrolithiasis （肾结石） Osteomalacia （软骨病） Bronchomycosis （支气管霉菌病） Osteonecrosis （骨坏死） Nephropyosis （肾化脓） Angiosclerosis （血管硬化） Angiostenosis （血管狭窄）

Table 6:Compound suffixes for diagnosis and treatment

centesis Surgical puncture to withdraw fluid 穿刺术graphy Recording, writing 记录摄影iatry healing, treatment 医疗术metry measuring 测量、量度plasty Reshaping or repair 成型术scopy Examining with mirror 镜检查stasis Arresting, halting 停止、制止stomy Making an opening or a connection

between造口术 , 吻合术

ectomy cutting out 切除术tomy Cutting into 切开术

-algia = Pain

Cardi/algia: Heart pain Gastr/algia: Pain in the stomach Analgesics:Compounds capable of relieving

pain– Since –algia starts with a vowel, word root is used

rather than the combining form.

-dynia = Pain

Cardiodynia: Heart pain Gastrodynia: Pain in the stomach

–Since –dynia starts with a consonant, combining form is used.

-emia = Blood Condition

Hema = Blood (Greek) An/emia: Lack of blood Leuk/emia, a “blood cancer”, literally means “a condition

of white blood”.– Leuk/o = White– em = blood– -ia = condition

In Leukemia, the blood is not really white. There are too many immature white cells (leukocytes) in the blood. This finding was used to name the disease “Leukemia”.

-meter, -metry

-meter = An instrument used to measure or count something

Cyt/o/meter: The instrument used to count cells -metry = The process of measuring or counting

something Cyt/o/metry: The process of counting cells

-penia = Decrease, Not Enough

Means poverty Leuk/o/cyt/o/penia (leukopenia): Decrease in or

not enough white blood cells Thromb/o/cyt/o/penia: Abnormal decrease in

the number of clot-forming cells (thrombocytes) Erythr/o/cyt/o/penia: Decrease in red blood

cells

-rrhea = flow or discharge

Dia/rrhea: to flow through. (the passage of fluid or unformed stools)

-rrhagia = flow of blood or bleeding

Gastro/rrhagia: Bleeding of stomach

-graph = To Write or Record

From Greek verb graphein, meaning to write or record

Refers to an instrument used to record data or something written or recorded Radiograph: pictures recorded by radioactive

light Electrocardiograph :a device used for recording

the electrical activity of the myocardium to detect transmission of the cardiac impulse through the conductive tissues of the muscle 心电描记器

-gram = Record or Picture

Gramma = something written or drawn -gram = suffix for “something written or drawn”.

Used in medical terms to refer to a record or picture made by an instrument.

Electrocardiogram:a recording of the electrical activity of the heart over time produced by an electrocardiograph 心电图

-gram = A record or picture made by an instrument– electrocardiogram

-graph = Instrument used to record data– electrocardiograph– Graphein = to write or record (Greek)

-graphy = The process of making a picture– electrocardiography

-grapher = A person who records the data– Radiographer

Suffix for “Cutting”

Tomos = Cutting (Greek)Tom = word root for cut -tome = cutting instrument -tomy = to cut into (incise)

– Tom/e = cut– -y is a noun suffix

-ectomy = to cut out (excise)– Ect/o = outside

-ostomy = to form a new opening (surgical)– stoma = mouth, opening

Suffix for “Cutting”

-tome = cutting instrument -tomy = to cut into (incise) -ectomy = to cut out

(excise) -ostomy = to form a new

opening (surgical)

Example: Gastr/o/tome

（胃切刀） Gastr/o/tomy

（胃切开术） Gastr/ectomy

（胃切除术） Gastr/ostomy( 胃

造口术 )

-ectomy vs. -ostomy

Gastr/ectomy: Excision (removal) of all or part of the stomach– Ect/o = combining form meaning “outside”– Tom/e = combining form meaning “cut”– -y = noun suffix

Gastr/ostomy: New opening made in stomach by cutting– stoma = “mouth, opening”– Tom/e = combining form meaning “cut”– -y = noun suffix

-cyte = Cell

Melan/o/cyte: Black cell (dark pigmented) Leuk/o/cyte: White (blood) cell Erythr/o/cyte: Red (blood) cell. Contains a red

substance called hemoglobin.

-blast = Embryonic, Immature Cell

Leuk/o/blast: An embryonic white cell Melan/o/blast: An embryonic black (dark

pigment) cell Erythr/o/blast: An embryonic red cell Blast/o = (combining form) embryonic or

immature cell Blast/o/cyte: An embryonic cell Blast: A cell in its embryonic stage

-gen =substance or agent that produces or causes -genesis =origin; formation;development

antigen: any substance that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against it

Glycogen （糖原） : is the storage form of glucose in animals and humans.

Pathogen （病原） : the substance that can cause disease

Carcinogen （致癌物） : the substance that can cause cancer

oncogenesis :formation of tumor adipogenesis: formation of fat

Path/o ,-pathy= Disease

Path/o/logy: The study of disease or the cause of disease

Path/o/logist: A physician specializing in diagnosing (discovering) diseases

-pathy = Disease Dermat/o/pathy: Disease condition of the skin

-stasis= to stop or prevent

Bacteri/ostasis: to make the growth of bacteria stop

Hemo/stasis : to arrest the flow of blood Cholestasis: a condition where bile （胆汁）

cannot flow from the liver to the duodenum.

-cide= to kill

Bacteri/cide: agents that can kill bacteria Fungi/cide: agents that can kill fungi

-phil,-philic=love, friendship

Hydro/philic: be able to dissolve more readily in water hemophilia （血友病） : Hemophilia is a rare, inherited

bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn’t clot normally. If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others after an injury. You also may bleed internally, especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can damage your organs or tissues and, sometimes, be fatal. People born with hemophilia have little to none of a protein needed for normal blood clotting. The protein is called a clotting factor.

-phobe, phobic= fear

Hydrophobic: the physical property of a molecule that is repelled from a mass of water.

Hydrophobia: especially a set of symptoms of the later stages of an infection, in which the victim has difficulty swallowing, shows panic when presented with liquids to drink, and cannot quench his or her thirst.