The combining form hepat/o refers to which body part?

• A. Liver
• B. Muscle
• C. Bone
• D. Nose

Answer: (A)

Hepat/o is the combining form for the liver. In medical terminology, combining forms attach to suffixes or other word parts to name body parts and describe conditions. The liver handles metabolism, detoxification, bile production, and more, so terms built with hepat/o refer specifically to the liver—examples include hepatology (study of the liver), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), and hepatic (relating to the liver). The other parts are named with different roots: muscle uses my/o, bone uses oste/o, and the nose uses nas/o or rhin/o, which is why hepat/o points to the liver.