Phage- denotes which meaning?

Master the Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology Test. Engage with flashcards and quizzes, detailed explanations provided. Enhance your medical vocabulary for exam success.

Multiple Choice

Phage- denotes which meaning?

Explanation:
Phage denotes the idea of eating. It comes from the Greek phagein, meaning “to eat,” and in medical terms it shows up in words like bacteriophage, a virus that infects and breaks down bacteria—the virus is named for its role as an eater of bacteria. This root is related to other forms like phag- in phagocytosis or phagocyte, which also revolve around “eating” or engulfing. The other options point to unrelated meanings (a plate, a star shape, or the lung), so they don’t fit with this root.

Phage denotes the idea of eating. It comes from the Greek phagein, meaning “to eat,” and in medical terms it shows up in words like bacteriophage, a virus that infects and breaks down bacteria—the virus is named for its role as an eater of bacteria. This root is related to other forms like phag- in phagocytosis or phagocyte, which also revolve around “eating” or engulfing. The other options point to unrelated meanings (a plate, a star shape, or the lung), so they don’t fit with this root.

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