Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart is called?

• A. Endocarditis
• B. Endocardium
• C. Endoderm
• D. Endometriosis

Answer: (A)

Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart is endocarditis. The inner lining is called the endocardium, which lines the chambers and valves. When that lining becomes inflamed, the condition is named endocarditis—the -itis ending signals inflammation, applied to the endocardium. The tissue itself is endocardium, not the inflammation; the other terms refer to different things—endoderm is a germ layer in embryology, and endometriosis is a gynecologic condition involving endometrial tissue outside the uterus.