Which root denotes the skin in medical terminology?

Which root denotes the skin in medical terminology?

• A. Derm
• B. Epiderm
• C. Integ
• D. Cut

Answer: (D)

Root choices for skin come from different language traditions, and the one that directly names the skin itself comes from Latin cutis, giving the form cut- (as in cutaneous or cuticle). That root directly signals skin tissue, which is why it’s used to describe something pertaining to or involving the skin. In contrast, derm- is Greek for skin and appears in terms like dermatology or dermal, which point to the skin generally or to a layer personally associated with skin but aren’t as precise about the word “skin” itself. Epiderm- refers specifically to the epidermis, the outermost skin layer, and integ- relates to the whole integument or covering, not the skin alone. So the root conveying the skin in a direct sense is cut-.

Root choices for skin come from different language traditions, and the one that directly names the skin itself comes from Latin cutis, giving the form cut- (as in cutaneous or cuticle). That root directly signals skin tissue, which is why it’s used to describe something pertaining to or involving the skin. In contrast, derm- is Greek for skin and appears in terms like dermatology or dermal, which point to the skin generally or to a layer personally associated with skin but aren’t as precise about the word “skin” itself. Epiderm- refers specifically to the epidermis, the outermost skin layer, and integ- relates to the whole integument or covering, not the skin alone. So the root conveying the skin in a direct sense is cut-.