What is the medical term for a slight paralysis?

The medical term for a slight paralysis is "paresis." This term originates from the Greek word "paresis," which means weakness or a condition of being partially paralyzed. In a medical context, paresis describes a partial loss of voluntary movement or weak muscle strength in a specific area, distinguishing it from complete paralysis, which is referred to as "plegia." This understanding is crucial in medical practice since identifying the level of muscle impairment can guide treatment and rehabilitation strategies.

Other terms provided in the options relate to different medical conditions or suffixes that do not pertain specifically to paralysis. For example, -otosis generally refers to a condition or process associated with the ear, -pnea deals with breathing-related terms, and -plasy is a suffix associated with surgical repair or formation. Hence, focusing on the context of muscle weakness makes "paresis" the clear and correct choice for slight paralysis.