Boil; a painful nodule formed in the skin by inflammation originating in a hair follicle; caused by staphylococcal infection.

• A. Capillary Action
• B. Exudate
• C. Furuncle
• D. Colposcope

Answer: (C)

This describes a furuncle. A furuncle is a localized, painful skin nodule that forms when infection and inflammation start in a hair follicle and progress into surrounding tissue, typically due to Staphylococcus aureus. It often fills with pus as the body sends immune cells to the site, creating the characteristic tender, red swelling that may drain spontaneously. Exudate is the fluid produced during inflammation and may be present inside a furuncle, but the lesion itself is best named a furuncle. Capillary action and a colposcope refer to unrelated concepts—capillary action is a physical process of liquid movement, and a colposcope is an instrument for examining the cervix. When multiple boils occur and merge, that larger infection is called a carbuncle, but a single tender boil originating from a hair follicle caused by Staph is a furuncle.