Without breath or without breathing?

• A. Apnea
• B. Appendectomy
• C. Arteriorrhexis
• D. Arteriosclerosis

Answer: (A)

The concept here is naming a condition that means absence of breathing. The correct term is apnea, which comes from a- meaning without and pnea meaning breathing, so it literally means a temporary or complete cessation of breathing. This is used in contexts like sleep apnea or episodes where breathing stops.

The other terms refer to different things: appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix; arteri/o- with -rrhexis means rupture of an artery; arteriosclerosis refers to the hardening of arterial walls. Those don’t describe the absence of breathing, which is why apnea is the right choice.