Which root means ovary?

• A. oophor/o
• B. oligo/o
• C. palat/o
• D. peritone/o

Answer: (A)

The root meaning ovary is oophor/o, derived from Greek oophoros. In medical terminology, this combining form names ovarian structures and related conditions, as in oophoritis (inflammation of the ovary) or oophorectomy (surgical removal of an ovary). The other roots point to different things: oligo/o means scanty or few (as in oliguria), palat/o relates to the palate (roof of the mouth), and peritone/o refers to the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). So oophor/o is the correct root for ovary.