Give meanings for the following suffixes:
- -cusis ______________
- -opia _______________
- -otia _______________
- -meter _____________
- -phobia ____________
- -plegia ______________________
- -tropia ______________________
The correct answer and explanation is :
Here are the meanings for the provided suffixes:
- -cusis: Refers to hearing or the condition of hearing.
- Example: Presbycusis – age-related hearing loss.
- -opia: Refers to vision or sight conditions.
- Example: Myopia – nearsightedness or difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.
- -otia: Refers to conditions of the ear or hearing.
- Example: Otitis – inflammation or infection of the ear.
- -meter: Refers to an instrument used to measure.
- Example: Thermometer – an instrument used to measure temperature.
- -phobia: Refers to an irrational fear or aversion to something.
- Example: Arachnophobia – an extreme fear of spiders.
- -plegia: Refers to paralysis or the loss of the ability to move parts of the body.
- Example: Hemiplegia – paralysis on one side of the body.
- -tropia: Refers to a condition related to misalignment or turning, particularly of the eyes.
- Example: Strabismus (commonly known as esotropia or exotropia) – a condition where the eyes do not align properly.
Explanation:
These suffixes are used in medical terminology to describe various conditions or tools related to specific parts of the body or functions.
- -cusis is derived from Greek, meaning hearing. It is commonly seen in terms related to hearing impairments, such as presbycusis, which specifically refers to hearing loss associated with aging.
- -opia comes from Greek, meaning vision. It’s commonly used to describe refractive errors in the eyes, such as myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness), which are conditions that affect how light is focused in the eyes.
- -otia is linked to the ear and its conditions. For example, otitis is an inflammation or infection of the ear, commonly leading to pain or difficulty hearing.
- -meter refers to instruments used for measuring specific parameters. For example, a thermometer measures temperature, and a spirometer measures lung function.
- -phobia comes from Greek, meaning fear. It’s used in terms for irrational fears, such as arachnophobia (fear of spiders), where the prefix indicates the object of the fear and the suffix represents the irrationality of the fear.
- -plegia is used in the medical field to describe paralysis or the loss of voluntary movement in muscles. It is commonly seen in conditions such as quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) or hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body).
- -tropia relates to misalignment or turning, especially of the eyes. Conditions such as strabismus or esotropia (inward turning of the eye) or exotropia (outward turning of the eye) describe misalignments that lead to vision problems.
These suffixes are all derived from Greek or Latin roots and play a crucial role in medical terminology, helping healthcare professionals describe various symptoms, conditions, or tools concisely.