2. WHAT IS A SUFFIX?
• In general terminology a Suffix is the ending part of a word
that modifies the meaning of the word
• There are hundreds of prefixes, root words, and suffix's in
medical terminology but the two suffix’s focused on will be:
Meaning paralysis
Meaning muscle coordination
3. -PLEGIA : PARALYSIS
• From the Greek word plege meaning
a blow or stroke
• Muscles are one of the reasons we are
able to move
• It is under the control of the nervous
system, which processes messages to
and from all parts of the body
• When the nerve cells, or neurons, that
control the muscles become diseased or
injured it results in a person losing the
ability to move the muscles voluntarily
• Causing paralysis
1. Nephroplegia: functional
paralysis of the kidney
2. Logoplegia: inability to
speak because of
paralysis of the speech
organs
3. Ophthalmoplegia: A
complete paralysis of the
extraocular muscles
which are responsible for
eye movements.
4. Panplegia: paralysis of
all four extremities
Words with –plegia suffix:
4. -TAXIA : MUSCLE COORDINATION
• The suffix “-taxia” in it’s simplest meaning is “order or
arrangement”
• In medical terminology, “-taxia” is most often used in regards to
muscle coordination
Ataxia: Diseases that damages the spinal cord and
peripheral nerves that connect your cerebellum to
your muscles
5. EXAMPLES OF
ATAXIA:
Head trauma : Damage to your brain or spinal cord from a blow to your
head, such as might occur in a car accident, can cause sudden ataxia,
also known as acute cerebellar ataxia.
Stroke : When the blood supply to a part of your brain is interrupted or
severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients, brain
cells die.
Multiple sclerosis (MS): MS is a chronic, potentially debilitating
disease that affects your central nervous system.
