Body Structure, Word Elements, Diagnostic Procedures, and Abbreviations

Vocabulary practice cards covering directional terms, body structures, medical word elements (combining forms, prefixes, suffixes), diagnostic/surgical procedures, and abbreviations.

Abdominopelvic

Ventral cavity that contains digestive, reproductive, and excretory structures

Adduction

Movement toward the median plane

Cervical

Part of the spine known as the neck

Coccyx

Tailbone

Deep

Away from the surface of the body (internal)

Eversion

Turning outward

Inferior (caudal)

Away from the head; toward the tail or lower part of a structure

Inversion

Turning inward or inside out

Lumbar

Part of the spine known as the loin

Plantar

Pertaining to the sole of the foot

Posterior (dorsal)

Near the back of the body

Prone

Lying horizontal with face downward

Proximal

Nearer to the center (trunk of the body)

Superficial

Toward the surface of the body (external)

Thoracic

Ventral cavity that contains the heart, lungs, and associated structures

melan/o

Black

dist/o

Far, farthest

cyt/o

Cell

anter/o

Anterior, front

leuk/o

White

cyan/o

Blue

xanth/o

Yellow

dors/o

Back (of body)

-ar

Pertaining to

peri-

Around

later/o

Side, to one side

caud/o

Tail

-ia

Condition

ultra-

Excess, beyond

ventr/o

Belly, belly side

super-

Upper, above

hist/o

Tissue

proxim/o

Near, nearest

medi/o

Middle

erythr/o

Red

Anterior

Pertaining to the front (of the body)

Cephalad

Toward the head

Dorsal

Pertaining to the back (of the body)

Ventral

Pertaining to the belly side (front of the body)

Cirrhosis

Abnormal condition of yellowing

Erythrocyte

Cell that is red

Melanoma

Tumor that is black

Radiologist

Specialist in the study of radiation or x-rays

Epigastric

Pertaining to above the (area of the) stomach

Hypogastric

Pertaining to under or below the (area of the) stomach

Cytologist

Specialist in the study of cells

Cytology

Study of cells

Leukocyte

White cell

Melanocyte

Black cell

Laser surgery

Use of a high-intensity laser light beam to remove diseased tissues, to stop bleeding, or for cosmetic purposes

Revision

Surgical procedure used to replace or compensate for a previously implanted device or correct an undesirable result or effect of a previous surgery

AP

Anteroposterior

Bx, bx

Biopsy

CBC

Complete blood count

CT

Computed tomography

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Dx

Diagnosis

I&D

Incision and drainage

LAT, lat

Lateral

LLQ

Left lower quadrant

LUQ

Left upper quadrant

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging

PET

Positron emission tomography

RF

Rheumatoid factor; radio frequency

RLQ

Right lower quadrant

RUQ

Right upper quadrant

SPECT

Single-photon emission computed tomography

Sx

Symptom

Tx

Treatment

U&L, U/L

Upper and lower

US

Ultrasound, ultrasonography