Which term denotes something pertaining to disease in medical terminology?

Which term denotes something pertaining to disease in medical terminology?

• A. Pathologic
• B. Pathology
• C. Patho-
• D. Pathogen

Answer: (A)

Pathologic describes something related to disease. In medical terms, the suffix -ic turns a word into an adjective meaning “pertaining to” or “related to,” and when it’s attached to the root path/o (disease) it yields pathologic, meaning disease-related or pathological. Pathology, on the other hand, is the study of disease or the diseased state itself, not the property of relating to disease. Patho- is a prefix used to form many terms (like pathophysiology) but isn’t a standalone word meaning “pertaining to disease.” Pathogen refers to an agent that causes disease, not to disease itself.

Pathologic describes something related to disease. In medical terms, the suffix -ic turns a word into an adjective meaning “pertaining to” or “related to,” and when it’s attached to the root path/o (disease) it yields pathologic, meaning disease-related or pathological.

Pathology, on the other hand, is the study of disease or the diseased state itself, not the property of relating to disease. Patho- is a prefix used to form many terms (like pathophysiology) but isn’t a standalone word meaning “pertaining to disease.” Pathogen refers to an agent that causes disease, not to disease itself.