Which suffix relates to 'any condition'?

Which suffix relates to 'any condition'?

• A. -osis
• B. -ectomy
• C. -ology
• D. -malacia

Answer: (A)

The suffix that signals an abnormal condition or disease is -osis. This ending is used with many roots to name a state or condition, often one that is diseased or part of a pathological process. For example, cyanosis refers to the bluish discoloration from poor oxygenation, and cirrhosis refers to a chronic liver disease. That broad meaning makes -osis the best fit for “any condition.” The other suffixes work differently: -ectomy means surgical removal (not a condition), as in appendectomy; -ology denotes the study of a field (not a condition), as in biology; -malacia describes softening of tissue (a specific type of abnormal change, not the general “condition” sense).

The suffix that signals an abnormal condition or disease is -osis. This ending is used with many roots to name a state or condition, often one that is diseased or part of a pathological process. For example, cyanosis refers to the bluish discoloration from poor oxygenation, and cirrhosis refers to a chronic liver disease. That broad meaning makes -osis the best fit for “any condition.”

The other suffixes work differently: -ectomy means surgical removal (not a condition), as in appendectomy; -ology denotes the study of a field (not a condition), as in biology; -malacia describes softening of tissue (a specific type of abnormal change, not the general “condition” sense).