In clinical and anatomical terminology, the word cadaver refers most accurately to which of the following?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: A dead human body used for anatomy

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question deals with basic medical and anatomical terminology. The term cadaver is commonly used in medical colleges, anatomy laboratories, and forensic science. Understanding its precise meaning is important for students of biology, medicine, and related competitive examinations.


Given Data / Assumptions:
- Four possible interpretations of the term cadaver are provided. - The context is clinical and anatomical usage. - Standard dictionary and medical college usage are assumed.


Concept / Approach:
In medicine and anatomy, a cadaver is a dead human body that is preserved and used for teaching, dissection, surgery practice, and sometimes for research. The term is never used for living human subjects, regardless of whether they participate in trials. It also does not imply any concept such as resurrection, which belongs more to mythology or religion than to science. Therefore, the option that describes a dead human body used for anatomy correctly captures the accepted meaning of cadaver.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that first year medical students learn human anatomy primarily by dissecting cadavers in dissection halls. Step 2: Recognise that legal and ethical guidelines exist for donation and use of cadavers in medical education. Step 3: Evaluate option A, which describes a living human being. This clearly does not match the standard use of the term cadaver. Step 4: Evaluate option C, a live human being used for trial. Even when people participate in clinical trials, they are not called cadavers. Step 5: Evaluate option D, a resurrected human body. This idea is outside the scope of scientific terminology and is not used in medical practice. Step 6: Conclude that option B, a dead human body used for anatomy, accurately defines cadaver.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can check this meaning by consulting any standard medical dictionary or anatomy textbook, which will define cadaver as a dead body preserved for dissection and study. In forensic science, cadaver is also used to refer to a dead body being examined for cause of death. No authoritative scientific source uses cadaver for living individuals. This consistent usage across fields confirms that the correct answer must involve a dead human body used for study.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A living human being: This is incorrect because the term cadaver is reserved for the dead body itself, not for living persons. A live human being used for trial: Participants in clinical or legal trials remain living subjects, usually called volunteers, patients, or accused persons, not cadavers. A resurrected human body: This phrase belongs to religious or fictional contexts and does not correspond to the standard scientific meaning of cadaver.


Common Pitfalls:
A possible pitfall is to confuse the word cadaver with general terms like patient or body. Some learners may also misunderstand the question and think it refers to any dead body, but in education the emphasis is on a body specifically used for anatomical study. Another mistake is to be misled by imaginative options like resurrected body, which are designed only to test whether you know the strict scientific usage of the word.


Final Answer:
Cadaver refers to A dead human body used for anatomy.

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