Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) Practice Exam 2025

What does the suffix -osis typically denote?

1. Inflammation condition

2. A measuring instrument

3. An abnormal medical condition

4. A specific disease

The correct answer is: An abnormal medical condition

The suffix -osis is commonly used in medical terminology to indicate an abnormal condition or process. It suggests a state of being that deviates from the normal, whether it refers to a disease, a disorder, or an increase in a particular substance or condition within the body. For example, "neurosis" implies an abnormal condition of the nerves, while "scoliosis" denotes an abnormal curvature of the spine. This understanding of -osis as relating to some form of abnormality makes choice C the correct response. In contrast, the other options relate to different medical terminology functions. While choice A refers to inflammatory conditions, which typically use the suffix -itis, choice B describes instruments for measuring, and choice D denotes specific diseases that may not universally apply to all terms that end with -osis. The use of -osis clearly focuses on abnormal conditions rather than these other specific categories.