Which term means inflammation of the small intestine?

• A. Colitis
• B. Gastritis
• C. Enteritis
• D. Diurectic

Answer: (C)

Inflammation in medical terms is shown with the suffix -itis, and the organ involved is identified by a root. For the small intestine, the root is enter- (sometimes written enter/o). Put together, enteritis means inflammation of the small intestine. The other terms point to inflammation of different organs: colitis is inflammation of the colon (large intestine), and gastritis is inflammation of the stomach. A diuretic is a drug that increases urine production, not an inflammatory condition, so it doesn’t describe inflammation of any part of the digestive tract.