The combining form phren/o refers to which body part?

The combining form phren/o refers to which body part?

• A. Heart
• B. Diaphragm
• C. Liver
• D. Lungs

Answer: (B)

Phren/o points to the diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and drives breathing. You can see this root in terms like phrenic nerve, which supplies the diaphragm. While phrenology is an old concept linking the mind to skull features, in medical terminology phren/o specifically refers to the diaphragm. The other organs have different roots: heart is cardi/o, liver is hepat/o, and lungs is pulmon/o (or pneumon/o).

Phren/o points to the diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and drives breathing. You can see this root in terms like phrenic nerve, which supplies the diaphragm. While phrenology is an old concept linking the mind to skull features, in medical terminology phren/o specifically refers to the diaphragm. The other organs have different roots: heart is cardi/o, liver is hepat/o, and lungs is pulmon/o (or pneumon/o).