What is the surgical removal of all or part of a kidney called?

• A. Nephrectomy
• B. Nephronectomy
• C. Nephrology
• D. Nephritis

Answer: (A)

In medical terms, removal of a kidney is called nephrectomy. The word combines nephro-, meaning kidney, with -ectomy, meaning surgical removal, so it directly describes removing a kidney. This matches the prompt, which refers to removing all or part of a kidney; for removing just a portion, doctors use a partial nephrectomy, but the general term for kidney removal is nephrectomy. Related terms help distinguish concepts: nephronectomy would imply removing a nephron—the kidney’s tiny functional unit—rather than the whole organ; nephritis is inflammation of the kidney; nephrology is the branch of medicine that studies and treats kidney disease.