What term describes something out of the ordinary, such as an ectopic pregnancy or ectopic heartbeats?

What term describes something out of the ordinary, such as an ectopic pregnancy or ectopic heartbeats?

• A. Ectopic
• B. Common
• C. Typical
• D. Ordinary

Answer: (A)

Something occurring out of the ordinary is described by the term ectopic. In medical language, ectopic means out of place or outside the normal location. That fits both an ectopic pregnancy, which implants outside the uterus, and ectopic heartbeats, which originate from areas of the heart other than the normal pacemaker. The other terms—common, typical, ordinary—describe normal or expected events, which is the opposite idea. So the best answer is ectopic.

Something occurring out of the ordinary is described by the term ectopic. In medical language, ectopic means out of place or outside the normal location. That fits both an ectopic pregnancy, which implants outside the uterus, and ectopic heartbeats, which originate from areas of the heart other than the normal pacemaker. The other terms—common, typical, ordinary—describe normal or expected events, which is the opposite idea. So the best answer is ectopic.