Rhinitis is an inflammatory disease that primarily affects which part of the human body?

Introduction / Context:
Many common medical terms end with the suffix "itis," which indicates inflammation. Rhinitis is a very frequent condition in clinical practice and everyday life. Understanding which body part it affects helps in recognizing and managing symptoms such as nasal congestion and sneezing. This question tests whether you can correctly associate rhinitis with the affected anatomical region.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The condition named is rhinitis.
• The options include brain, nose, blood, and skin.
• We assume knowledge that "rhino" is a root related to the nose.

Concept / Approach:
The term rhinitis comes from the Greek "rhinos," meaning nose, and "itis," meaning inflammation. Therefore, rhinitis refers to inflammation of the nasal mucosa, commonly caused by allergies, infections, or irritants. Symptoms typically include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and itching. This distinguishes it from conditions affecting the brain, blood, or skin in general.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine option A, brain. Inflammation of the brain is called encephalitis, not rhinitis.Step 2: Examine option B, nose and nasal mucosa. This matches the meaning of the root word "rhino" and describes the main site of inflammation in rhinitis.Step 3: Examine option C, blood. Diseases of the blood are usually referred to by terms such as anemia or leukemia, not rhinitis.Step 4: Examine option D, skin over the whole body. Inflammation of skin is called dermatitis, not rhinitis.Step 5: Conclude that option B correctly identifies the nose as the primary structure affected by rhinitis.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by thinking of common conditions such as allergic rhinitis, often called hay fever, which clearly involves nasal symptoms. Medical descriptions of rhinitis always describe inflammation of the nasal passages, further confirming that the nose is the affected organ.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because the term for brain inflammation is different and does not share the "rhino" root. Option C is wrong because rhinitis is not a blood disorder. Option D is wrong because skin inflammation is known as dermatitis or related terms, not rhinitis.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes ignore word roots and guess randomly among organ systems. Learning common medical prefixes and suffixes, such as "rhino" for nose and "itis" for inflammation, helps decode many medical terms quickly. Recognizing these patterns improves both vocabulary and exam performance.

Final Answer:
Nose and nasal mucosa.