Biological and Medical Suffixes - P

-paedic (British spelling. American spelling is -pedic) [from Latin pes, pedis foot] Relating to the feet (orthopaedic).

-para [from Latin parare give birth to; beget, bring forth] Woman giving birth to the number of children indicated by the prefix (nullipara).

-path [from Greek pathe suffering, misfortune] One who is diseased or suffering (psychopath).

-pathic [from Greek pathe suffering, misfortune] Pertaining to disease or suffering (homeopathic).

-pathy [from Greek pathe suffering, misfortune] Disease, suffering (nephropathy).

-ped or -pede [from Latin pes, pedis foot] Foot, having feet, having feet of the sort or number indicated by the stem or prefix (millipede).

-pedia [from Greek pous, podos, podi, poa foot] Condition of the feet (antennapedia).

-pedic (American spelling. British spelling is -paedic) [from Latin pes, pedis foot] Relating to the feet (orthopedic).

-penia Lack, decrease, deficiency (thrombocytopenia).

-pepsia Denotes digestion or the digestive tract (colodyspepsia).

-pexy Suspension, fixation, or fastening of the organ(s) or part(s) indicated by the stem or prefix (phrenocolopexy).

-phaga or -phage or -phagist [from Greek phagein to eat] One(s) eating or destroying the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (bacteriophage).

-phagia or -phagy [from Greek phagein to eat] The sort of eating indicated by the stem or prefix (bacteriophagy).

-phagous [from Greek phagein to eat] Eating the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (phytophagous).

-phasia Denotes a speech disorder of the type indicated by the stem or prefix (aphasia).

-pheresis Denotes removal, taking away, or extraction (plasmapheresis).

-phil or -phile or -philus [from Greek phileo to love, regard with affection] One that loves or is attracted or tends to the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (azurophil).

-philia or -phily [from Greek phileo to love, regard with affection] (1) attraction to, tendency toward, or abnormal appetite for the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (agoraphilia).

-philic or -philous [from Greek phileo to love, regard with affection] Attracted to, liking, or suited to the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (hydrophilic).

-phobia Fear of the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (agoraphobia).

-phobic Fearful of the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (arachnophobic).

-phone [from Greek phonema sound, utterance] Sound, utterance (cardiophone).

-phor or -phore [from Greek phoros bearing] Carrier (gametophore).

-phora or -phorae or -phorum [from Greek phoros bearing] One(s) bearing the structure indicated by the stem or prefix (Stylophorum).

-phoria [from Greek phoros bearing] Tendency or bearing of the type indicated by the stem or prefix (dysphoria).

-phoresis [Greek phoresis being borne] Transmission (electrophoresis).

-phorous [from Greek phoros bearing] Carrying (phyllophorous).

-phrenia [from Greek phren mind] Denotes mental disorder (schizophrenia).

-phthisis [from Greek phthio to decay, wane, waste away] Wasting away (myelophthisis).

-phylaxis [from Greek phylakeia guard, protection] Protection (anaphylaxis).

-phyll [from Greek phyllon leaf] (1) leaf; (2) pigment in plant cells (chlorophyll).

-phylla or -phyllum [from Greek phyllon leaf] Leaf, plant fossil resembling (indicated) group; having leaflike parts (bulbophyllum).

-physis Growth of the type indicated by the stem or prefix (symphysis).

-phyta [from Greek phyton plant] Plants (Magnoliophyta).

-phyte [from Greek phyton plant] Plant having the trait indicated by the stem or prefix (epiphyte).

-picrin [from Greek pikros bitter] Bitter (chloropicrin).

-pithecus or -pithecine [from Greek pithekos ape, monkey] Ape (australopithecine, ardipithecus).

-plakia [from Greek plakes plates] Plaque (leukoplakia).

-plasia [from Greek plasm anything formed or molded] Formation or development of a type indicated by the stem or prefix (dysplasia).

-plasm [from Greek plasm anything formed or molded] Denotes something formed or shaped in the way, or by the thing indicated by the prefix (cytoplasm, neoplasm).

-plast [from Greek plasm anything formed or molded] (1) Something formed of the type or in the way indicated by the stem or prefix (autoplast); (2) particle, small mass (blepharoplast); (3) cell (chloroplast, chromoplast, leucoplast).

-plastic [from Greek plasm anything formed or molded] (1) developing or growing in a way indicated by the stem or prefix (endoplastic); (2) adjectival equivalent of a noun ending in -plasm, plast, or plasty (cytoplastic).

-plasty [from Greek plasm anything formed or molded] Surgical repair of the thing indicated by the stem or prefix (hernioplasty).

-ploid [modern scientific origin (early 20th century) by parallel construction based on the original haploid from Greek haploeides single, and diploid from Greek diploos double] Having the number of sets of chromosomes indicated by the prefix (triploidy, tetraploidy, hexaploidy).

-ploidy [for derivation see -ploid] Condition of having the number of sets of chromosomes indicated by the prefix (tetraploid, hexaploid, allopolyploid, autopolyploid).

-plegia [from Greek plege stroke, blow] Denotes stroke or paralysis (hemiplegia).

-pnea or -pnoea [from Greek pneo to breathe] Breath, breathing (apnea).

-pneusta [from Greek pneo to breathe] Ones having the mode of breathing indicated by the stem or prefix (Enteropneusta).

-pod or -poda or -pode or -podium [from Greek pous, podos, podi, poa foot] One(s) having feet of the sort indicated by the stem or prefix (Lycopodium, Theropoda).

-podia [from Greek pous, podos, podi, poa foot] Condition of the feet (micropodia).

-podite [from Greek pous, podos, podi, poa foot] Segment or appendage of an arthropod (exopodite).

-poiesis [from Greek poiesis fabrication, creation, production] Production, formation (leukopoiesis).

-poietic [from Greek poiesis fabrication, creation, production] Productive, forming (allopoietic).

-ptera [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] One(s) having the type or number of wings indicated by the stem or prefix (Diptera).

-pterous [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] Having the type or number of wings indicated by the stem or prefix (apterous).

-pterygus (pl. pterygii) [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] Winged one(s) having the type of wings indicated by the stem or prefix (Acanthopterygii).

-pteryx [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] Winged or finned one having the type of wings/fins indicated by the stem or prefix (Archaeopteryx).

-ptile [from Greek pteron feathers, wing, winged one] Down, feather (coleoptile).

-ptosis Sagging, downward displacement, or prolapse of the part indicated by the stem or prefix (nephroptosis).

-ptysis [from Greek ptyalon sputum, saliva] A condition of the saliva (hemoptysis).

-pyga or -pygus [from Greek pyge rump, buttocks] One having a rump of the sort indicated by the stem or prefix (bipygus).

-pyrosis [from Greek pyr fire] Burning sensation of the part indicated by the stem or prefix (glossopyrosis).