Which term describes a furrow?

• A. Groove
• B. Fissure
• C. Notch
• D. Meatus

Answer: (A)

On bone markings, a furrow is a long, narrow depression that often serves as a path for nerves or vessels. The best term for this feature is groove, since a groove is exactly that kind of shallow, elongated channel on a bone’s surface. A fissure is a slit-like cleft or crack, not just a shallow channel. A notch is an indentation at the edge of a bone, not a through-and-through groove. A meatus is a canal or tube-like passage through the bone, usually larger and more tubular. For example, the humerus has a radial groove where the radial nerve travels, illustrating how a groove functions as a guiding path on the bone.