The suffix meaning paralysis is:
A)
-plegia
B)
-plexy
C)
-pepsia
D)
-contra
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is: A) -plegia
Explanation:
The suffix “-plegia” refers to paralysis, which is the loss or impairment of the ability to move a body part, often caused by injury or disease affecting the nervous system. When you see medical terms ending in “-plegia,” it typically describes the type or location of paralysis. For example:
- Hemiplegia: paralysis of one side of the body
- Paraplegia: paralysis of the lower half of the body
- Quadriplegia: paralysis of all four limbs
Paralysis occurs when communication between the brain and muscles is disrupted. This disruption can be due to stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, or other neurological conditions.
Now let’s look at the other options:
- B) -plexy means “stroke” or “seizure,” as seen in apoplexy (an old term for stroke). It refers to sudden impairment, but not specifically paralysis.
- C) -pepsia relates to digestion. You find it in terms like dyspepsia (indigestion), and it has nothing to do with paralysis.
- D) -contra is not a suffix; “contra-” is a prefix meaning “against” or “opposite,” used in words like contradict (to speak against).
Understanding medical suffixes is critical in health sciences because they provide important clues about the condition described. In clinical settings, knowing that “-plegia” means paralysis helps quickly understand a diagnosis or a patient’s condition without needing a full explanation every time.