In the term retinoblastoma, the word element that means germ
cell is:
a. retin/o
b. -blast
c. -oma
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is b. -blast.
Explanation:
Retinoblastoma is a type of cancer that originates in the retina of the eye, primarily affecting young children. The term “retinoblastoma” can be broken down into three word elements: retin/o, -blast, and -oma.
- retin/o: This word element refers to the retina, which is the thin layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball responsible for detecting light and sending visual signals to the brain.
- -blast: The suffix “-blast” refers to an immature or precursor cell, typically involved in the development of tissues. The suffix specifically relates to “germ” or “embryonic” cells, which are undifferentiated cells that can develop into specialized cells. In the case of retinoblastoma, the term refers to the early-stage retinal cells that have the potential to form into the cancerous tumor. These cells are in their formative stage, capable of proliferating and dividing.
- -oma: The suffix “-oma” is used to denote a tumor or growth. It indicates that the condition involves a tumor, which in this case is formed from abnormal, immature retinal cells (the blast cells).
So, -blast specifically refers to the germ or precursor cells, which are involved in the development of the tumor in retinoblastoma. In summary, the germ cell or precursor cells responsible for the development of the tumor are referred to by the word element -blast.