The missing ending in zona orbicular___ completes which muscle name?

The missing ending in zona orbicular___ completes which muscle name?

• A. Orbicularis oculi
• B. Orbicularis
• C. Orbicularis oris
• D. Orbicularis iris

Answer: (B)

Think about how Latin muscle names are built: a base plus a suffix that turns it into the form used for the muscle name. The phrase zona orbicular___ is looking for that ending to complete the common root that describes a circular muscle. The correct ending is -is, giving orbicularis. This root is the basis for a family of muscles around openings, like orbicularis oculi around the eye or orbicularis oris around the mouth. The other options would imply specific complete muscle names or aren’t the natural suffix needed to finish the phrase, whereas orbicularis is the standard stem that fits as the ending for this clue.

Think about how Latin muscle names are built: a base plus a suffix that turns it into the form used for the muscle name. The phrase zona orbicular___ is looking for that ending to complete the common root that describes a circular muscle. The correct ending is -is, giving orbicularis. This root is the basis for a family of muscles around openings, like orbicularis oculi around the eye or orbicularis oris around the mouth. The other options would imply specific complete muscle names or aren’t the natural suffix needed to finish the phrase, whereas orbicularis is the standard stem that fits as the ending for this clue.