Which term means 'able to cause disease'?

• A. Potential
• B. Posterior
• C. Pathology
• D. Pathogenic

Answer: (D)

Disease-causing capability is what this is asking about. In biology, something that can cause disease is described as pathogenic. The word combines path- (disease) with -genic (producing), so it directly conveys the idea of producing disease.

Other terms here don’t fit the idea of causing disease: potential means general capacity but not specifically disease-related; posterior means located at the back; pathology is the study of disease, not the ability to cause it.

So the term that means able to cause disease is pathogenic.