What term refers to the study of disease?

The study of disease is encapsulated in the term "pathology." This field focuses on understanding the nature, causes, and effects of diseases by examining changes in tissue and organ systems caused by illness. Pathologists investigate the mechanisms by which diseases develop, the ways they affect the body, and how they can be treated or prevented.

Pathogenesis refers specifically to the development of a disease and the biological mechanism that lead to its manifestation, which is just one aspect of the broader field of pathology. Epidemiology is concerned with the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, focusing more on how diseases spread in populations rather than examining disease on a biological or microscopic level. Diagnosis involves identifying a disease based on symptoms and clinical tests, which is a practical application of the knowledge gained through the study of pathology but does not encompass the entire field of disease study itself. Thus, pathology is the most comprehensive term that covers the study of diseases as a whole.