ch 5 medical terminology

abduction

Motion of a limb away from the midline.

adduction

Motion of a limb toward the midline.

anterior

The front surface of the body; the side facing you in the standard anatomic position.

apex (plural apices)

The pointed extremity of a conical structure.

bilateral

A body part or condition that appears on both sides of the midline.

combining vowel

The vowel used to combine two word roots or a word root and suffix.

deep

Farther inside the body and away from the skin

distal

Farther from the trunk or nearer to the free end of the extremity.

dorsal

The posterior surface of the body, including the back of the hand.

extension

The straightening of a joint.

flexion

The bending of a joint.

Fowler position

An inclined position in which the head of the bed is raised.

inferior

Below a body part or nearer to the feet.

lateral

Parts of the body that lie farther from the midline; also called outer structures.

medial

Parts of the body that lie closer to the midline; also called inner structures.

palmar

The forward-facing part of the hand in the anatomic position.

plantar

The bottom surface of the foot.

posterior

The back surface of the body; the side away from you in the standard anatomic position.

prefix

Part of a term that appears before a word root, changing the meaning of the term.

prone

Lying face down.

proximal

Closer to the trunk.

quadrants

Describes the sections of the abdominal cavity, in which two imaginary lines intersect at the umbilicus, dividing the abdomen into four

suffix

The part of a term that comes after the word root, at the end of the term.

superficial

Closer to or on the skin.

superior

Above a body part or nearer to the head.

supine

Lying face up.

word root

The main part of a term that contains the primary meaning.

ventral

The anterior surface of the body.