The combining form for coccyx (tailbone) is?

The combining form for coccyx (tailbone) is?

• A. Coccyg/o/e
• B. Coccyg/o
• C. Coccyx/o
• D. Caud/o

Answer: (A)

The key idea is naming the structure with its combining form, which is the root plus a linking vowel used to attach suffixes. For the coccyx (tailbone), the combining form is coccyg/o. This form is what you attach to endings to build terms such as coccygodynia (pain in the coccyx) or coccygeal (pertaining to the coccyx). Sometimes you’ll see coccyg/o/e in reference materials to show how the stem coccyge- interacts with certain suffixes (like -eal), but the standard combining form to memorize is coccyg/o. The other option, caud/o, means tail in a general sense and isn’t specific to the coccyx, and coccyx/o isn’t the conventional combining form used.

The key idea is naming the structure with its combining form, which is the root plus a linking vowel used to attach suffixes. For the coccyx (tailbone), the combining form is coccyg/o. This form is what you attach to endings to build terms such as coccygodynia (pain in the coccyx) or coccygeal (pertaining to the coccyx). Sometimes you’ll see coccyg/o/e in reference materials to show how the stem coccyge- interacts with certain suffixes (like -eal), but the standard combining form to memorize is coccyg/o. The other option, caud/o, means tail in a general sense and isn’t specific to the coccyx, and coccyx/o isn’t the conventional combining form used.