The root thorac/o corresponds to which region?

• A. Back
• B. Chest
• C. Abdomen
• D. Neck

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding what each root word refers to. The root thorac/o denotes the chest region, specifically the thorax—the area between the neck and the abdomen that contains the heart and lungs. In medical terms you’ll see thorac/o in words like thoracic (relating to the chest), thoracentesis (removing fluid or air from the chest cavity), and thoracotomy (surgical opening of the chest). The back is described with roots like dors/o or poster/o, the abdomen with abdomin/o, and the neck with cervic/o or trachel/o, so thorac/o is uniquely tied to the chest.