HOSA Medical Terminology Practice Test

The suffix "-tomy" is derived from the Greek word "tomia," which means "to cut." When used in medical terminology, it specifically indicates a surgical procedure involving an incision or cutting into a part of the body. This is commonly seen in words like "laparotomy," referring to an incision into the abdominal cavity.

In contrast, the other options reflect different actions: "to examine" could be associated with the suffix "-scopy," "to repair" is related to "-plasty," and "to observe" usually correlates with "-scopy" as well. Therefore, the action indicated by the suffix "-tomy" directly relates to the concept of cutting into, making this option the correct choice.