Ather/o means which of the following?

• A. Blockage
• B. Fatty tissue
• C. Lipids
• D. Fatty plaque

Answer: (D)

Ather/o denotes fatty plaque that builds up in arterial walls. That’s why it’s used in terms like atherosclerosis—the process of arteries becoming narrowed and stiff due to this fatty material forming plaques. So the best description among the options is fatty plaque. The other ideas don’t fit the root: blockage is a consequence of the plaque, not what the root itself means; fatty tissue points to adip/o; lipids would use a different root like lipid/o. Understanding this helps you see how ather/o functions as the indicator of the characteristic fatty deposits that cause vascular changes.