Medical terminology suffixes are sometimes formed by several components. The suffix component [-y] means "process" and can be used in many different ways.

A "process" can be an actual bony outcropping, a structure, or it can be an action or a series of actions.

Let's dissect a few suffixes to analyze their construction:

• [-(o)tomy]: This suffix is composed by [-tom-], derived from the Greek word [τομή] meaning "to incise" or "to cut". By adding the suffix component [-y] we obtain the meaning of "process of cutting".

• [-ectomy]: This suffix is more complicated. It originates from two Greek root terms [εκτός] (ectos) meaning "out or outside" and "[tomos], which means "to cut" or "to open".  By adding the suffix component [-y] we obtain the meaning of "process of cutting out". Other synonyms are: extirpation, excision, and removal.

• [-(o)logy]: The accepted meaning of this suffix is "study of", although a better meaning would be "process or action of studying". This suffix has an interesting evolution that you can read here.

The suffix [-y] can also be used alone, as in the case of the anatomical term mesentery. This term is of Greek origin. The prefix [mes(o)-] means "middle", the root term [-enter-] means "small intestine" or "intestine", and the suffix [-y] means "process" or "structure". Thus, the mesentery is "a structure in the middle".