Which term refers to a patient's general body structure?

• A. Morphology
• B. Build
• C. Stature
• D. Habitus

Answer: (D)

General body appearance and size is described by habitus. In medical context, habitus captures the patient’s overall physique—the proportions, musculature, fat distribution, and how the body as a whole looks and sits in space, often including height and weight as part of that impression. This quick snapshot helps convey nutritional status and general physical state in notes. Morphology is about the form of a specific part or organism, not the whole body; build is a casual term for physique without precise medical nuance; stature mainly refers to height. So habitus is the term that best describes a patient’s general body structure.