1.5 Suffixes

Notice that the suffix -ectomy has the suffix -tomy within it, but they have very different meanings. The suffix -ectomy means “removal of,” whereas the suffix -tomy means “to cut into.”

If a term has the suffix -ectomy, then it always has the meaning “removal of”; for example, nephrectomy means “removal of the kidney.” If you change the suffix to -tomy, making the term nephrotomy, it would mean “to cut into the kidney.” Note that changing the suffix results in the term having two very different meanings.

It is also important to note the difference between -tomy and -stomy because they are both similar. As stated above, the suffix -tomy means “to cut into,” but the suffix -stomy means “opening.” Openings such as a tracheostomy, an opening into the trachea to assist with breathing, or a colostomy, which is often done to assist with conditions such as bowel obstructions, are usually permanent or semi-permanent.

Suffixes can change a word from a noun (person, place, or thing) to an adjective (a word that describes or defines a noun).

Examples

Anemia, which is a noun, is a blood disorder in which the blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Anemic is an adjective pertaining to the blood disorder in which the blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells.

Carpus, another noun, is the joint between the radius/ulna and the metacarpal bones. It is the “wrist” in humans. If you drop the -us suffix and replace it with -al, it becomes carpal, an adjective that can be used to describe the carpal joint.