(What is the medical term for the study of the kidney?

“Nephr/o” is the combining form meaningkidney, and “-logy” meansstudy of. Therefore,nephrologyis the medical specialty focused on the kidneys—normal kidney function, kidney diseases, and their medical management. In CPC-style terminology questions, look for the body-system root first (nephr = kidney) and then confirm the suffix. This differs fromurology, which is a surgical specialty addressing the urinary tract and male reproductive system. Endocrinology relates to hormones and glands, neurology relates to the nervous system, and cardiology relates to the heart. A quick word-building check helps avoid distractors: nephrology = kidney; cardiology = heart; neurology = nerves/brain; endocrinology = endocrine glands. On the CPC exam, recognizing common combining forms (nephr/o, ren/o) and suffix patterns (-logy, -itis, -ectomy) is a frequent testing strategy, so anchoring on “nephr” reliably identifies the correct specialty.