Which meaning does the suffix -oma convey?

Which meaning does the suffix -oma convey?

• A. Ulcer
• B. Tumor
• C. Inflammation
• D. Infection

Answer: (B)

The suffix -oma signals a tumor or abnormal mass. It’s attached to a root that describes the tissue involved to name a neoplasm or growth, such as melanoma (a pigment-cell tumor) or lipoma (a fat-tissue tumor). Other endings convey different ideas—for inflammation we use -itis, and an ulcer isn’t formed with -oma. While there are cases where -oma denotes a mass that isn’t truly a neoplasm (like a hematoma, a collection of blood), the common, test-friendly meaning is tumor. So the suffix conveys tumor.

The suffix -oma signals a tumor or abnormal mass. It’s attached to a root that describes the tissue involved to name a neoplasm or growth, such as melanoma (a pigment-cell tumor) or lipoma (a fat-tissue tumor). Other endings convey different ideas—for inflammation we use -itis, and an ulcer isn’t formed with -oma. While there are cases where -oma denotes a mass that isn’t truly a neoplasm (like a hematoma, a collection of blood), the common, test-friendly meaning is tumor. So the suffix conveys tumor.