California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants (CCBMA) Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Question: 1 / 400

Which suffix indicates an abnormal condition or disease?

-itis

-osus

-pathic

-osis

The suffix that indicates an abnormal condition or disease is -osis. This suffix is commonly used in medical terminology to describe various pathological states or conditions, often related to an increase or abnormal state. For example, "neurosis" refers to an emotional disorder, and "pulmonosis" could denote a disease of the lungs.

While the other suffixes listed can also relate to disease or conditions, they each have more specific meanings. For instance, "-itis" denotes inflammation (such as in "arthritis" which refers to inflammation of the joints), "-osus" usually implies a state of being or a condition that is not strictly abnormal but can imply excess (as seen in "luposus"), and "-pathic" relates to disease but often implies a connection to a specific type of disease (such as "neuropathic," which refers to a type of pathology affecting nerves). Thus, -osis is the most general suffix indicating an abnormal condition or disease, making it the correct choice.

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