What is the meaning of the combining form lys(o)?

• A. Destruction
• B. Separate into parts
• C. Breast tissue
• D. Upper jaw bone

Answer: (B)

Lys/o means to loosen, dissolve, or break down a structure. This action describes something being reduced into smaller pieces or components, which is why it’s interpreted as “separate into parts.” You see this idea in terms like lysosome or lysis, where the process involves breaking substances apart rather than simply creating or naming tissue. Among the options, this sense fits best because it centers on breaking down into parts. The other options point to different roots (breast tissue and upper jaw bone) or to destruction in a broader sense, but they don’t capture the specific sense of breaking something down into components as directly as “separate into parts.”