Suffix -ostomy means which?

Master the Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology Test. Engage with flashcards and quizzes, detailed explanations provided. Enhance your medical vocabulary for exam success.

Multiple Choice

Suffix -ostomy means which?

Explanation:
In medical terminology, the ending -ostomy denotes a surgical action that creates a passage or opening. When an ostomy is performed, a new opening (a stoma) is made to connect the inside of the body to the outside or to another hollow organ, allowing waste or air to pass. That’s why this meaning fits best: it emphasizes the creation of an opening, as seen in procedures like colostomy or ileostomy. The other options describe different concepts—loosening or destruction (a different suffix), the idea of “like” (a suffix meaning resembling), or a bodily substance (bile)—so they don’t match the meaning of -ostomy.

In medical terminology, the ending -ostomy denotes a surgical action that creates a passage or opening. When an ostomy is performed, a new opening (a stoma) is made to connect the inside of the body to the outside or to another hollow organ, allowing waste or air to pass. That’s why this meaning fits best: it emphasizes the creation of an opening, as seen in procedures like colostomy or ileostomy. The other options describe different concepts—loosening or destruction (a different suffix), the idea of “like” (a suffix meaning resembling), or a bodily substance (bile)—so they don’t match the meaning of -ostomy.

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