The combining form lith/o denotes which structure?

The combining form lith/o denotes which structure?

• A. Kidney
• B. Testis
• C. Stone
• D. Prostate gland

Answer: (C)

Lith/o denotes stone. In medical terminology, combining forms connect with suffixes to form terms, and lith/o literally means stone. It is used across different organs to name stones, such as kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) or gallstones (cholelithiasis). It isn’t the name of a specific organ. The other options would correspond to the organ itself (kidney = nephro-, testis = orchid/o or test-, prostate = prostat/o), not the concept of a stone. So lith/o is best understood as the stone-building element, used to indicate stones in various parts of the body.

Lith/o denotes stone. In medical terminology, combining forms connect with suffixes to form terms, and lith/o literally means stone. It is used across different organs to name stones, such as kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) or gallstones (cholelithiasis). It isn’t the name of a specific organ. The other options would correspond to the organ itself (kidney = nephro-, testis = orchid/o or test-, prostate = prostat/o), not the concept of a stone. So lith/o is best understood as the stone-building element, used to indicate stones in various parts of the body.