What element is always located at the end of a root word?

The correct answer is that a suffix is always located at the end of a root word. In medical terminology and many other fields that utilize root words, a suffix is a group of letters added to the end of the root, which modifies its meaning. For example, in the word "hematology," "hemat-" is the root word referring to blood, and "-ology" is the suffix that means the study of.

Suffixes can indicate specific conditions, procedures, or specialties and play a crucial role in altering the meaning of the root to provide more precise information. Understanding suffixes is essential for interpreting medical terms correctly, allowing healthcare professionals to communicate effectively about various medical conditions and procedures.

While prefixes could be present at the beginning of a root word and combining forms involve a root word plus a vowel, neither of these elements would be located at the end. The root word itself is the core part of the term that carries the primary meaning, but it does not refer to the additional element added at the end, which is the suffix.