1. 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.”

2. Classification Table1:Suffixes that mean "condition of"
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）

3. Table2:Suffixes for medical specialties
Meaning
Example
Definition of example
-ian
specialist in a field of study
physician
practitioner of medicine
-ist
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
Pediatrics（小儿科）
A medical specialty concerned with maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth to adolescence
-iatry
psychiatry
The medical science that deals with the origin, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders

4. Table 3:Suffixes for a group of substance
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

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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Angiosclerosis（血管硬化） Angiostenosis（血管狭窄）
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）

9. 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

10. -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.

11. -dynia = Pain Cardiodynia: Heart pain Gastrodynia: Pain in the stomach
Since –dynia starts with a consonant, combining form is used.

12. -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”.

13. -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

14. -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

15. -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

16. -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

17. -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

18. -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

19. 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

20. 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)

21. -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”

22. -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.

23. -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

24. -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

25. 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

26. -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.

27. -cide= to kill Bacteri/cide: agents that can kill bacteria
Fungi/cide: agents that can kill fungi

28. -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.

29. -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.