Chapter 7
-oma
Remember the goofy yet memorable David Letterman joke, “Oprah, Uma.
Uma, Oprah.”? Well, meet -oma. The -oma suffix can often stand for some- thing certainly not as pretty as Uma Thurman: a tumor. It can also pertain to a neoplasm, or new growth. Again, -oma is one of the most versatile suffixes because a tumor or neoplasm can happen on or near any body part, in any body system. Some -omas you might have heard of:
✓ Carcinoma: Malignant (cancerous) tumor or growth
✓ Leiomyoma: Benign (non-cancerous) tumor derived from smooth muscle. Commonly called a fibroid or fibroid tumor.
✓ Melanoma: Tumor of the melanocytic (melanocytes in the skin) system of the skin, a highly malignant and quickly metastasizing (spreading) tumor.
A tumor can be benign or malignant depending on the type and composition, and amount of cell division and growth.
-pathy
The last of the big three is the -pathy suffix, which indicates a disease pro- cess. Once again, the wide-ranging use of this suffix is made possible by the large number of body systems it can help describe.
✓ Cardiomyopathy: Disease process involving the muscles of the heart ✓ Cardiopathy: Disease process involving the heart
✓ Neuropathy: Disease process involving the nervous system ✓ Osteopathy: Disease process involving bone
And lots more suffixes
There are, of course, many, many more suffixes that are just as important as the big three, though they may not be quite as recognizable to you (yet).
As with English terms, many of the suffixes make their terms into adjectives.
Table 7-1 lists several you should get to know.
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Chapter 7: So It Shall Be in the End: Suffixes Table 7-1 Suffixes: Wrapping It Up
Suffix What It Means
-ac, -ic, -al, -ous, -tic Related to or pertaining to
-algia, -dynia Pain, discomfort
-ate, -ize Subject to, use
-cele Protrusion (hernia)
-centesis Surgical puncture to withdraw or aspi-
rate fluid
-cle, -cule, -ule, -ulus Small
-cyte Cell
-desis Surgical fusion or binding
-dynia Pain
-ectomy Cutting out, surgical removal
-emesis Vomit
-emia Pertaining to blood, a blood condition
-ent, -er, -ist Person, agent
-esis, -ia, -iasis, -ity, -osis, -sis, -tion, -y State of or condition of
-form, -oid Looking like, resembling, or shaped like
-genesis A beginning process, origin of
-genic Produced by
-gram A written record
-graph Instrument used to record
-graphy Process of recording
-ism Condition or theory
-lysis Destruction, breakdown, or separation
-malacia Softening
-megaly Enlargement
-meter Instrument used to measure
-metry Process of measuring
-ologist One who studies, a specialist
-ology Study of, process of study
-opsy To view
-otomy Process of incision or cutting into
(continued)
Table 7-1 (continued)
Suffix What It Means
-ostomy, -stomy Artificial surgical opening
-penia Lack of or deficiency
-pexy, -pexis Surgical fixation
-phagia, -phagy Eating
-phobia Morbid fear of or intolerance
-plasia Formation, development
-plasty Surgical reconstruction, or shaping of
-plegia Paralysis
-pnea Breathing
-poiesis Production or manufacture of
-ptosis Downward displacement, or drooping
-rrhage, -rrhagia Excessive flow or discharge
-rrhaphy Suturing in place, fixation
-rrhea Flow or discharge
-rrhexis Rupture or breaking away
-sclerosis Hardening
-scope Instrument used to visually examine
-scopy Process of visual examination
-spasm Sudden or involuntary
-tome Instrument
-tripsy Crushing
-trophic, -trophy Growth or development
The suffixes, -rrhagia or rrhage, -rrhaphy, -rrhea, and -rrhexis are known as The Four Rs. All four are difficult to pronounce and are almost always misspelled — usually with one r being left out.
Matching Suffixes to Situations
Tired yet? Hang in there just a bit longer, because now it’s time to take a look at some examples of suffixes in the real medical world. Let’s start with the place closest to you: your own body.
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Chapter 7: So It Shall Be in the End: Suffixes
In your body
✓ Acrophobia: Fear of heights
✓ Anemia: Low hemoglobin in blood
✓ Apnea: Condition of not breathing ✓ Cardiomegaly: Enlargement of the heart ✓ Claustrophobia: Fear of enclosed or small area ✓ Colostomy: Artificial opening into the colon ✓ Diarrhea: Frequent flow of watery or loose stools ✓ Dysphagia: Painful or difficult eating (or swallowing) ✓ Dyspnea: Difficult or painful breathing
✓ Erythrocytes: Red blood cells
✓ Gastrodynia: Stomach pain or discomfort ✓ Hemiplegia: Paralysis of one side of body ✓ Hemorrhage: Excessive flow of blood ✓ Hepatomegaly: Enlargement of the liver
✓ Hepatosplenomegaly: Enlargement of the liver and spleen
✓ Hyperemesis: Excessive vomiting
✓ Ileostomy: Artificial opening into the ileum ✓ Leukemia: Blood condition of white blood cells ✓ Leukocytes: White blood cells
✓ Menorrhea: Heavy menstrual period
✓ Myalgia: Muscle pain
✓ Nephrosis: Kidney condition
✓ Orthopnea: Inability to breathe properly except in an upright position ✓ Osteopenia: Deficiency in bone mass
✓ Photophobia: Visual intolerance of light
✓ Quadriplegia: Paralysis of all four quadrants of the body ✓ Splenomegaly: Enlargement of the spleen
✓ Tracheostomy: Artificial opening into the trachea; follows a tracheotomy
In the doctor’s office and hospital
✓ Abdominoplasty: Plastic surgery on the abdomen
✓ Amniocentesis: Procedure to withdraw fluid from amniotic sac during pregnancy
✓ Appendectomy: Surgical removal of appendix
✓ Bronchoscope: Instrument used to perform a bronchoscopy ✓ Cardiogram: Hard copy record of cardiography
✓ Cardiograph: Machine used to perform a cardiography ✓ Cardiography: Process of recording activity of the heart ✓ Herniorrhaphy: Surgical fixation or repair of a hernia ✓ Hysterectomy: Surgical removal of uterus
✓ Laparoscope: Instrument used to perform a laparoscopy ✓ Laparotomy: Cutting into the abdomen
✓ Mammography: Process of examination of breast tissue ✓ Myorrhaphy: Suture or fixation of a muscle
✓ Myorrhexis: Suturing of a ruptured muscle ✓ Nasoplasty: Repair of deviated nasal septum
✓ Osteotomy: Cutting into bone
✓ Psychologist: Person who studies psychology
✓ Rhinoplasty: Nose job
✓ Tracheotomy: Cutting into the trachea ✓ Urethropexy: Surgical fixation of the urethra
Retro Root Rewind N–Z
If you read Chapter 6, you may remember that we left you hanging in the middle of the alphabet in our root word recap. Here is your chance to finish recalling all those righteous root words that match up to the myriad of pre- fixes and suffixes. Table 7-2 covers N–Z. For A–M, go back one chapter.
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Chapter 7: So It Shall Be in the End: Suffixes Table 7-2 Recapping Root Words (N–Z)
Root Word What It Means
Nat/o Birth
Necr/o Death
Nephr/o Kidney
Neur/o Nerve
Oophor/o Ovary
Orchid/o, orchi/o Testis
Oss/eo, oss/i, ost/e, ost/eo Bone
Path/o Disease
Palat/o Roof of mouth
Peritone/o Peritoneum (membrane lining abdominal
and pelvic cavities)
Pharmac/o Drug
Pharyng/o Pharynx (throat)
Phleb/o Vein
Phren/o Diaphragm
Pleur/o Pleura, rib (side)
Pneum/a/o, pneum/ono, pneum/ato Lungs
Poli/o Gray matter of nervous system
Proct/o Rectum, anus
Pulmon/o Lungs
Pyel/o Pelvis of kidney
Py/o Pus
Rect/o Rectum
Ren/i, ren/o Kidney
Sacr/o Sacrum
Salping/o Fallopian tube
Sarc/o Flesh
Scapul/o Scapula
Sept/o Infection
Splen/o Spleen
Spondyl/o Vertebra
(continued)
Table 7-2 (continued)
Root Word What It Means
Stern/o Sternum
Tend/o, ten/o Tendon
Testicul/o Testis
Therm/o Heat
Thorac/o Chest
Thym/o Thymus
Thyr/o, thyroid/o Thyroid gland
Tonsill/o Tonsils
Trache/o Trachea
Tympan/o Eardrum
Ur/e, ur/ea, ur/eo, urin/o, ur/o Urine
Urethr/o Urethra
Ureter/o Ureter
Vas/o Vas deferens (tube that carries sperm
from the epididymis to the urethra)
Vas/o, ven/o Vein
Vesic/o Bladder
Viscer/o Viscera (internal organs)
Xanth/o Yellow
Xer/o Dry