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What does -lysis mean in medical terms?
-lysis
Meaning: separation; breakdown; loosening
Type: Suffix
A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -lysis means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using -lysis
dialysis
dia- (through) + -lysis (separation) = separation of substances across a membrane
dia- (through) + -lysis (separation) = separation of substances across a membrane
hemolysis
hemo (blood) + -lysis (breakdown) = breakdown of red blood cells
hemo (blood) + -lysis (breakdown) = breakdown of red blood cells
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.