Chapter_2

Chapter 2. Suffix Content 1. Review of word building rules and word pronunciation rules a) Summary b) Chapter review exercise 2. Introduction about resources in Learning Medical Terminology 3. Suffixes a) None suffixes b) Adjective suffixes c) Forming plurals Objectives After study of this chapter you should be able to: 1. Define a suffix. 2. Give examples of how suffixes are used. 3. Recognize and use some general noun, adjective, and plural suffixes used in medical terminology. 4. Analyze the suffixes used in a case study. 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, 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 another root, gen, which represents genesis or origin, and the adjective ending -ous forms the word myelogenous, meaning “originating in bone marrow.” The suffixes given in this chapter are general ones that are used throughout medical terminology. Additional suffixes will be presented in later chapters, as they pertain to disease states, medical treatment, or specific body systems. Noun Suffixes TABLE 2-1 Suffixes That Mean “Condition Of” SUFFIX EXAMPLE DEFINITION OF EXAMPLE Exercise 2-1 Write the suffix that means “condition of” in each of the following words: 1. egotism (exaggerated self-importance) -ism 2. dysentery (intestinal disorder) 3. insomnia (inability to sleep) 4. parasitism (infection with parasites or behaving as a parasite) 5. thrombosis (having a blood clot in a vessel) 6. psoriasis (skin disease) 7. analgesia (absence of pain) 8. sclerosis (hardening) 9. atony (lack of muscle tone) Exercise 2-2. Write the suffix in each of the following words that means “study of,” “medical specialty,” or “specialist in a field of study”: 1. dentist (one who treats the teeth and mouth) -ist 2. neurology (the study of the nervous system) 3. pediatrics (treatment of children) (Fig. 2-2) 4. technologist (specialist in a technical field) 5. psychiatry (study and treatment of mental disorders) Write a word for a specialist in each of the following fields: 6. anatomy (study of body structure) 7. pediatrics (care and treatment of children) 8. radiology (use of radiation in diagnosis and treatment) 9. orthodontics (correction of the teeth) - Adjective Suffixes The suffixes below are all adjective endings that mean “pertaining to” or “resembling” (Table 2-3). There are no rules for which ending to use for a given noun. Familiarity comes with practice. When necessary, tips on proper usage are given in the text. 1 Exercise 2-3 Identify the suffix meaning “pertaining to” or “resembling” in each of the following words: 1. salivary (pertaining to saliva) -ary 2. pelvic (pertaining to the pelvis) 3. neurotic (pertaining to neurosis) 4. fibrous (pertaining to fibers) 5. epileptiform (resembling epilepsy) 6. ovoid (resembling an egg) 7. topical (pertaining to a surface) 8. virile (masculine) 9. vocal (pertaining to the voice) 10. surgical (pertaining to surgery) 11. nuclear (pertaining to a nucleus) 12. urinary (pertaining to urine) 13. circulatory (pertaining to circulation) Forming Plurals Many medical words have special plural forms based on the ending of the word. Table 2-4 gives some general rules for the formation of plurals along with examples. The plural endings listed in column 2 are substituted for the word endings in column 1. Some Exceptions to the Rules There are exceptions to the rules above for forming plurals, some of which will appear in later chapters. For example, the plural of virus is viruses, and serums is sometimes used instead of sera. An -es ending may be added to words ending in -ex or -ix to form a plural, as in appendixes, apexes, and indexes. Some people, in error, use phalange as the singular of phalanges. Words ending in -oma, meaning “tumor,” should be changed to -omata, but most people just add an s to form the plural. For example, the plural of carcinoma (a type of cancer) should be carcinomata, but carcinomas is commonly used. Exercise 2-4 Write the plural form of each of the following words. The word ending is underlined in each. 1. vertebra (bone of the spine) (Fig. 2-4) vertebrae 2. ganglion (mass of nerve tissue) 3. omentum (abdominal membrane) 4. testis (male gonad) 5. lumen (central opening) 6. matrix (background substance; mold) 7. serum (liquid) 8. meninx (membrane around the brain and spinal cord) 9. focus (center) 10. pelvis (bony hip girdle) 11. adenoma (tumor of a gland) Chapter Review 2-1 Identify the suffix that means “condition of” in each of the following words: 1. egotism 2. anemia 3. stenosis 4. dystrophy 5. acidosis 6. anesthesia Give the suffix in the following words that means “specialty” or “specialist”: 7. psychiatry 8. orthopedist 9. obstetrics 10. urology Give the name of the specialist in each of the following fields: 11. pediatrics 12. dermatology 13. pharmacy 14. gynecology Identify the adjective suffix in each of the following words that means “pertaining to” or “resembling”: 15. physiologic 16. local 17. cutaneous 18. lymphoid 19. cellular 20. basic 21. salivary 22. oral 23. rheumatoid 24. virile 25. anatomical 26. circular 27. exploratory Write the plural for each of the following words. The word ending is underlined: 28. patella (kneecap) 29. prognosis (prediction of disease outcome) 30. bacterium (type of microorganism) 31. fungus (simple, nongreen plant) 32. protozoon (single-celled animal) 33. pharynx (throat) 34. apex (high point; tip) Write the singular form for each of the following words. The word ending is underlined: 35. foramina (openings) 36. nuclei (center; core) 37. ganglia (small masses of nerve tissue) 38. vertebrae (spinal bones) 39. indices (directories; lists) 40. carcinomata (cancers) Case Study Case Study 2-1: Health Problems on Return From the Rain Forest E.G., a 39-year-old archaeologist and university professor, returned from a 6-month expedition in the rain forest of South America suffering from a combination of physical symptoms and conditions that would not subside on their own. He was fatigued, yet unable to sleep through the night. He also had a mild fever, night sweats, occasional dizziness, double vision, and mild crampy abdominal pain accompanied by intermittent diarrhea. In addition, he had a nonhealing wound on his ankle from an insect bite. He made an appointment with his family doctor, an internist. On examination, E.G. was febrile (feverish) with a temperature of 101°F. His heart and lungs were normal, with a slightly elevated heart rate. His abdomen was tender to palpation (touch), and his bowel sounds were active and gurgling to auscultation (listening with a stethoscope). His skin was dry and warm. He had symmetrical areas of edema (swelling) around both knees and tenderness over both patellae (kneecaps). The ulceration on his left lateral ankle had a ring of necrosis (tissue death) surrounding an area of granulation tissue. There was a small amount of purulent (pus-containing) drainage. E.G.’s doctor ordered a series of hematology lab studies and stool cultures for ova and parasites. The doctor suspected a viral disease, possibly carried by mosquitoes, indigenous to tropical rain forests. He also suspected a form of dysentery typically caused by protozoa. E.G. was also possibly anemic, dehydrated, and septic (infected). The doctor was confident that after definitive diagnosis and treatment, E.G. would gain relief from his insomnia, diplopia (double vision), and dizziness. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS Multiple choice: Select the best answer and write the letter of your choice to the left of each number. 1. Diplopia, the condition of having double vision, has the suffix: a. lopia b. opia c. ia d. pia e. plopia 2. The adjective septic is formed from the noun: a. sepsis b. septosis c. septemia d. septery e. anemia 3. E.G. was suspected of having anemia (diminished hemoglobin). The adjective form of the noun anemia is _____________, and the field of health science devoted to the study of blood is called _______________. a. anemic; hematology b. hematosis; hematism c. dehemia; hematomegaly d. anemic; parasitology e. microhematic; hemacology Write the suffix that means “condition of” in each of the following words: 4. necrosis 5. dysentery 6. insomnia Write the adjective ending of each of the following words: 7. febrile 8. symmetrical 9. anemic Write the singular form of each of the following words: 10. patellae 11. ova 12. protozoa Write a word from the case study that means each of the following: 13. The word virus used as an adjective 14. The noun form of the adjective necrotic 15. Expert in the field of archeology 16. Expert in the field of internal medicine 17. The noun abdomen used as an adjective Quiz 1. 1) write down five words related to medicine? 2) write down five words or expressions with the meaning of doctors and their responsibilities. 3) write down five branches of medicine and define them 4) write down five departments of a comprehensive hospital 5) write down five synonyms of the word Disease 6) write down five kinds of healthcare providers 7) write down five kinds of medical supplies 8) write down the names for 10 body organs