What term describes an area of tissue that has suffered damage from injury or disease?

• A. Lesion
• B. Tumor
• C. CT Scan
• D. Spinal Tap

Answer: (A)

An area of tissue that has suffered damage from injury or disease is called a lesion. This term is broad and describes any abnormal change in tissue, whether it’s a bruise on the skin, an ulcer in the gut, scar tissue in the brain, or a mass due to cancer. The key idea is that it flags that the tissue is no longer normal, without specifying what caused the change or how it behaves.

A tumor, while it can appear as a lesion, specifically refers to a growth or mass of tissue that may be benign or malignant, so it’s a narrower concept focused on a lump rather than all kinds of tissue damage. A CT scan is an imaging test used to see inside the body, not a description of tissue state. A spinal tap is a procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluid, not a term for tissue damage.