The suffix -malacia denotes which process?

• A. Hardening
• B. Softening
• C. Inflammation
• D. Puncture

Answer: (B)

Softening is what -malacia indicates. This suffix describes an abnormal decrease in firmness of a structure, so terms like osteomalacia (bone softening), chondromalacia (softening of cartilage), or cerebral malacia (softened brain tissue) all point to tissue becoming softer than normal. The other options describe different processes—hardening uses a suffix related to sclerosis, inflammation uses -itis, and puncture is a procedure often denoted by -centesis rather than a tissue-change suffix.