Which term refers to the diagnostic examination of a piece of tissue from the living body?

• A. Biopsy
• B. Colposcopy
• C. Cryosurgery
• D. Incision and Drainage

Answer: (A)

Biopsy is the process of taking a small piece of tissue from a living person to examine it under a microscope and make a diagnosis. This directly provides tissue for histopathologic analysis, helping determine if disease such as cancer or infection is present and what type it is.

Colposcopy is a visual examination of the cervix, vagina, and vulva using a special instrument; it may be used to guide where a tissue sample is taken, but by itself it’s not the diagnostic tissue sampling. Cryosurgery uses extreme cold to destroy tissue, not to diagnose. Incision and drainage is a procedure to release pus or fluid from an abscess, not to examine tissue for disease.