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

• A. tumor
• B. inflammation
• C. condition
• D. record, writing

Answer: (D)

The suffix -gram denotes a record or written/image result from a study. It flags that what follows is something captured or drawn, like a tracing or picture produced by a test. For example, an electrocardiogram is a record of the heart’s electrical activity; a mammogram is an X-ray image of the breast; an angiogram is an image of the blood vessels. This meaning is different from suffixes that indicate a tumor (-oma), inflammation (-itis), or a condition or disease state (-osis). So -gram is best understood as meaning “record, writing.”