Which term means pertaining to the skin?

• A. Cranial
• B. Cystitis
• C. Cutaneous
• D. Cyanosis

Answer: (C)

This questions tests how medical terms signal the body part involved. Cutaneous is the term that denotes skin. The root cutane- or cutis means skin, and the suffix forms an adjective meaning “pertaining to.” So cutaneous correctly describes anything related to the skin, such as a cutaneous sensation or cutaneous healing.

Cranial refers to the skull, not the skin. Cystitis means inflammation of the bladder. Cyanosis describes a bluish discoloration of the skin due to low oxygen in the blood, but it isn’t a word that means “pertaining to the skin” itself.