Which of the following is the meaning of the suffix -pnea?

• A. Vision
• B. Hearing
• C. Blood flow
• D. Breathing

Answer: (D)

Understanding medical suffixes helps decode terms. The ending -pnea denotes breathing, originating from Greek for breath. It appears in terms like dyspnea (difficulty breathing), apnea (absence of breathing), and eupnea (normal breathing). So the suffix signals the act of breathing. The other options relate to different bodily functions and use different endings—for example, vision is shown with endings like -opia, hearing with -acusia, and blood flow with endings tied to blood Conditions such as -emia or terms like perfusion. Because -pnea specifically ties to respiration, the meaning is breathing.