Which root is used for kidney-related terms?

Which root is used for kidney-related terms?

• A. Nephr
• B. Nephro
• C. Reno
• D. Ureter

Answer: (A)

Kidney-related words come from a Greek root meaning kidney, and the base form you’ll most often see is nephr-. This root appears in terms like nephron (the kidney’s functional unit), nephritis (inflammation of the kidney), and nephrology (the study of kidney medicine). When linking to suffixes beginning with a vowel, you’ll often see the form nephro- (as in nephrotoxic, nephrology), but the underlying root is nephr-. The other options come from Latin ren- (as in renal) or refer to a specific structure (ureter), not the common kidney-root used across many kidney terms. That’s why nephr- is the best answer.

Kidney-related words come from a Greek root meaning kidney, and the base form you’ll most often see is nephr-. This root appears in terms like nephron (the kidney’s functional unit), nephritis (inflammation of the kidney), and nephrology (the study of kidney medicine). When linking to suffixes beginning with a vowel, you’ll often see the form nephro- (as in nephrotoxic, nephrology), but the underlying root is nephr-. The other options come from Latin ren- (as in renal) or refer to a specific structure (ureter), not the common kidney-root used across many kidney terms. That’s why nephr- is the best answer.