Final answer:
The combining form for where the spinal nerve roots emerge from the spinal cord is 'radicul/o'. This relates to the spinal roots, with sensory axons entering through the dorsal (posterior) nerve root and motor fibers exiting through the ventral (anterior) nerve root. The correct option is (c)
Step-by-step explanation:
The combining form related to the location where the 31 pairs of spinal nerve roots emerge from the spinal cord is radicul/o. This term stems from the word radix, which means 'root', and it specifically relates to the spinal roots. In anatomy, the spinal nerves are a complex assembly of both sensory and motor axons, bifurcating into the dorsal (posterior) nerve root and the ventral (anterior) nerve root. The sensory axons enter the spinal cord through the dorsal nerve root, while the motor fibers exit through the ventral nerve root. Each dorsal nerve root is associated with a dorsal root ganglion, which is a cluster of nerve cell bodies (neurons) that lie just outside the spinal cord and relay sensory information from the periphery to the central nervous system.