What term means inflammation of the inner lining of the heart?

• A. Endocarditis
• B. Endocardium
• C. Endocrine
• D. Endocytosis

Answer: (A)

Understanding how medical terms are built helps you see what a disease name means. “-itis” signals inflammation, while “endo-” means within and “card-” refers to the heart. The inner lining of the heart is the endocardium, so when that lining becomes inflamed, the term endocarditis is used. The tissue itself is endocardium, not inflammation, so it’s not the correct term for the condition. The other options—endocrine relates to hormones and glands, and endocytosis is a cellular process of taking in material—do not describe inflammation of the heart lining.