Which root refers to plaque buildup in the arteries?

Which root refers to plaque buildup in the arteries?

• A. Col
• B. Dent
• C. Crani
• D. Atherosclerosis

Answer: (D)

Understanding medical terms often comes down to the combining forms inside the word. The concept here is fatty plaque forming inside arteries. The combining form ather/o is the one that means fatty plaque. When you attach the suffix -sclerosis, which means hardening, you get atherosclerosis: the process of fatty plaques hardening and narrowing arterial walls. That’s why this term directly describes plaque buildup in the arteries. The other roots point to unrelated body parts—col- to the colon, dent- to teeth, crani- to the skull—so they don’t fit the idea of arterial plaque.

Understanding medical terms often comes down to the combining forms inside the word. The concept here is fatty plaque forming inside arteries. The combining form ather/o is the one that means fatty plaque. When you attach the suffix -sclerosis, which means hardening, you get atherosclerosis: the process of fatty plaques hardening and narrowing arterial walls. That’s why this term directly describes plaque buildup in the arteries. The other roots point to unrelated body parts—col- to the colon, dent- to teeth, crani- to the skull—so they don’t fit the idea of arterial plaque.