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The suffix component of a word is found at the end of a medical word after the root term(s) and also alters or influences the meaning of the root term. In the words [planter], [planted], and [planting] the suffixes are [-er], [-ed], and [-ing]. Some of the most simple suffixes are adjectival suffixes such as [-ic], [-al], [-eal], etc. all of them meaning "related to" or "pertaining to". |
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| In medical terminology, the use of each root term can be multiplied many times over by the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Using the root term [-gastr-], meaning "stomach", we can form: [gastric], [gastritis], [gastrotomy], [gastrectomy], [gastrostomy], [gastrorrhaphy], [gastrography], [gastroscope], [gastroscopy], [gastropod], [gastroma], [perigastritis], [endogastritis], [intragastric], [epigastric], etc.
For information on how to read medical words, click here. The listing of medical suffixes is quite large and should be mastered by professionals in the medical industry. Medical Terminology is one of the core competencies of CAA, Inc. Image property of: CAA.Inc. |
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