The root LEUK/O denotes which color?

The root LEUK/O denotes which color?

• A. White
• B. Red
• C. Black
• D. Yellow

Answer: (A)

Leuk/o denotes whiteness in medical terminology. It comes from the Greek leukos meaning white and is used in terms like leukocyte (white blood cell) and leukemia (a disease of white blood cells). The sense of white here is about appearance or concept rather than pigment; historically these cells were described as white because they appear colorless or lighter than other cells on slides. In contrast, erythr/o means red, melan/o means black, and xanth/o means yellow. So leuk/o specifically denotes white.

Leuk/o denotes whiteness in medical terminology. It comes from the Greek leukos meaning white and is used in terms like leukocyte (white blood cell) and leukemia (a disease of white blood cells). The sense of white here is about appearance or concept rather than pigment; historically these cells were described as white because they appear colorless or lighter than other cells on slides. In contrast, erythr/o means red, melan/o means black, and xanth/o means yellow. So leuk/o specifically denotes white.