What is the function of a suffix in a medical term?

The function of a suffix in a medical term is that it comes after the root word. Suffixes are essential components of medical terminology that modify or specify the meaning of the root. They often indicate a procedure, condition, disease, or a specific part of speech, thus providing additional context or detail to the term. For example, in the term "cardiology," "cardio" is the root word meaning heart, and "logy" is the suffix meaning study of; together, they define the field of study related to the heart.

The other choices do not accurately represent the role of a suffix in medical terminology. A suffix is not placed before the root word; rather, it follows it. While some suffixes can suggest location, this is not their inherent function, as they can also describe conditions or processes without indicating where they occur. Finally, while suffixes may help define a condition, they do not solely define it on their own; they work in conjunction with root words to convey a complete medical meaning. Thus, the correct understanding of a suffix is that it always appears at the end of a root word.