Anatomical Terminology

Directional Terms – describe the positions of structures relative to other structures or location in the body.

1.Superior or cranial – toward the head end of the body; upper(example: the hand is part of the superior extremity).

2. Inferior or caudal– away from the head; lower(example: the foot is part of the inferior extremity).

3. Anterior or ventral – front(example: the kneecap is located on the anterior side of the leg).

4. Medial              – toward the midline of the body(example: the middle toe is located at the medial side of the foot).

5. Lateral             – away from the midline of the body(example: the little toe is located at the lateral side of the foot).

6.Proximal         – toward the nearest the trunk or the point of origin of a part (example: the proximal end of the femur joins with the pelvic bone).

7. Distal              – away from or farthest from the trunk or the point of origin of a part(example: the hand is located at the distal end of the forearm.

Planes of the Body:

1. Coronal Plane(Frontal Plane) – a vertical plane running from side to side; divides the body or any of its parts into anterior and posterior portions.

2. Sagittal Plane(Lateral Plane) – a vertical plane running from front to back; divides the body or any of  its parts into right and left sides.

3. Axial Plane (Transverse Plane) – A horizontal plane; divides the body or any of its parts into upper and lower part.

4.Medial Plane   -Sagittal plane through the midline of body; divides the body or any of its parts into right and left halves.

Body Cavaties – The cavities or spaces of the body contain the internal organs, or viscera.  The two main cavities are called the ventral and dorsal cavities. The ventral is the larger cavity and is subdivided into two parts (thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities) by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped respiratory muscle.

Thoracic Cavaties – The upper ventral, thoracic or chest cavity contains the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood vessels, and nerves. The thoracic cavity is bound laterally by the  ribs (covered by costal pleura) and the diaphragm caudally (covered by diaphragmatic pleura).

Dorsal Cavaties – The smaller of the two main cavities is called the dorsal cavity. As its name implies, it contains organs lying more posterior in the body. The dorsal cavity, again, can be divided into two portions. The upper portion, or the cranial cavity, houses the brain, and the lower portion, or vertebral canal houses the spinal cord.

MedTerm “Combining Roots/Combining Forms/Prefixes/Suffixes”

1. liver – hepat/o
2. heart – cardi/o
3. stomach – gastr/o
4. kidney – nephr/o
5. nose – rhin/o
6. skin – derm/o

Prefix
1. slow brady
2. fast tachy
3. around peri
4. within endo
5. above normal hyper
6.below normal hypo

Suffix
1.ectomy surgical removal(excision)
2.otomy cutting into (incision)
3.ostomy surgically forming an opening
4.itis inflammation of
5.algia pain
6.cyte cell

Medical Terminology – Vocabulary

1. Cytology – study of cellular structure
2. Pathology – study of disease
3. Rhinorrhea – runny nose
4. Prognosis – prediction of an outcome of a disease
5. Anabolism – building up simple compound into more complex compound
6. Phlebitis – inflammation of the vein
7. Physiology -study of functions
8. Catabolism – the process of metabolism where substances are broken down into energy
9. Nosocomial – disease acquired in a medical facility
10.Microscopic – seen only with magnification
11.Macroscopic – visible to the eye without magnification
12.Homeostasis – the physiological process that monitors and maintains a stable internal environment or equilirium
13. Exacerbation – signs and symptoms acutely flare-up
14. Metabolism – all the chemical operation going on within our bodies
15. Remission – signs and symptoms of a chronic disease may disappear at times
16.Immune response- microscopic cells either attack or “eat” those harmful invaders or release powerful chemicals that disintegrate parts of the invading germs.

Actions of Muscles

1. Abduction – away from the midline
2. Adduction – toward the midline
3. Circumduction – circular motion
4. Depression – act of lowering a body part from a joint
5. Doriflexion – act of pointing the foot upward
6. Elevation – raising a body part from a joint
7. Eversion – turning outward
8. Extension – increase in the angle of a joint
9. Flexion – decrease in the angle of a joint
10.Hyperextension – in the angle of a joint beyond what is normal
11.Inversion – turning inward
12.Plantar flexion – pointing the foot downward
13.Pronation – turning downward or inward
14.Protraction – movement of a body part anteriorly
15.Retraction – movement of a body part posteriorly
16.Rotation – act or process of turning on an axis
17.Supination – act of turning upward or outward

Combining Forms & Suffixes(Integumentary System)

1. adip/o – fat
2. albin/o – white
3. cry/o – cold
4. cutane/o – skin
5. dermat/o – skin
6. erythr/o – red
7. hidr/o – sweat
8. hist/o – tissue
9. kerat/o – hard skin, horny tissue, keratin
10.leuk/o – white
11.lip/o – fat
12.onych/o – nail
13.seb/o – sebum(oil)
14.squam/o – scale
15. trich/o – hair
16.xanth/o – yellow
17.xer/o – dry

Suffixes
1. – malacia softening
2. – phagia eating, swallowing

Note: Abbreviation related to Integumentary System
1. Bx – biopsy
2. Derm – dermatology
3. SC, SubQ, SQ, subcu, Subq – subcutaneous