Which combining form means pertaining to saliva?

• A. gastr/o
• B. sial/o
• C. somn/o
• D. polyp/o

Answer: (B)

Understanding combining forms involves matching the root meaning to the body part it describes. The form sial/o- means saliva, and it appears in medical terms referring to saliva or the salivary glands, such as sialadenitis (inflammation of a salivary gland) or sialorrhea (excessive saliva). The other options attach to different concepts: gastr/o- is stomach, somn/o is sleep, and polyp/o is polyp. So sial/o- is the one that means saliva.