Medical Terminology Chapters 1 & 2

Abdominocentesis

Surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity

Acronym

Word formed from the initial letters of a compound term

Acute

Rapid onset and a short duration

Angiography

Producing a radiographic x-ray study of blood vessels

Appendectomy

Surgical removal of the appendix

Arteriosclerosis

Tissue death of an artery

Arthralgia

Pain in joints

Colostomy

Surgical creation of an opening between the colon and the body surface

Cyanosis

Bluish discoloration of the skin

Dermatologist

Physician that specializes in treating the skin

Diagnosis

Identification of a disease

Diarrhea

Frequent flow of loose, watery stools

Edema

Swelling caused by an abnormal accumulation of fluids

Endarterial

Pertaining to the interior lining of the artery

Eponym

Disease named for the person who discovered it

Erythtocyte

Red Blood Cells

Fissure

Crack-like sore of the skin

Fistula

Passage between 2 internal organs leading to the body surface

Gastralgia

Pain in the stomach

Gastritis

Inflammation of the stomach

Hemorrhage

Loss of a large amount of blood in a small amount of time

Hepatomegaly

Abnormal enlargement of the liver

Hypertension

High Blood Pressure

Hypotension

Low blood pressure

Infection

Invasion of the body by a pathogenic organism

Inflammation

Localized responses to the destruction of tissues

Interstitial

Living in the spaces of

Intramuscular

Taking place within a muscle

Laceration

Torn or jagged wound

Lesion

Pathologic change of tissues

Malaise

Feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness

Mycosis

Disease covered by a fungus

Myelopathy

Pathologic changes in the spinal cord

Myopathy

Disease of muscle tissue

Myorrhexis

Rupture of a muscle

Natal

Pertaining to birth

Neonatology

Study of disorders of a newborn

Neurorraphy

Suturing the ends of a surgical nerve

Otorhinolaryngology

Study of the ear, nose and throat

Palpation

Feel the skin in texture, size and consistency

Palpitation

Pounding or racing heart

Pathology

Study of all aspects of disease

Phalanges

Bones of the fingers and toes

Poliomyelitis

Disease that affects the nervous system

Prognosis

Likely outcome of a disease or condition

PyodermaI

Inflammatory, pus-forming bacterial skin infection

Remission

Temporary disappearance of disease

Sign

Objective Evidence

Supination

Rotating the arm so that the palm of the hand is forward or upward

Suppuration

Formation or discharge of pus

Supracostal

Situated above or on the ribs

Symptom

Subjective Evidence

Syndrome

Set of signs and symptoms that occur together

Tonsilitis

Inflammation of the tonsils

Trauma

Wound or injury

Triage

Medical screening of patients to determine proper treatment

Viral

Pertaining to a virus

Vertical Plane

Up-and-down plane that has a right angle to the horizon

Sagittal Plane

Divides the body into unequal left and right portions

Midsagittal Plane

Divides the body into equal left and right portions

Frontal Plane

Divides the body into front and back

Horizontal Plane

Crosswize, flat plane

Transverse Plane

Divides the body into superior and inferior positions

Ventral

Front, belly side(opposite of dorsal)

Dorsal

Back of body (opposite of ventral)

Anterior

Situated in the front (opposite of posterior)

Posterior

Situated in the back (opposite of anterior)

Superior

Uppermost or towards the head (opposite of inferior)

Inferior

Lowermost or towards the feet(opposite of (superior)

Cephalic

Toward the head (opposite of caudal)

Caudal

Towards the feet (opposite of cephalic)

Proximal

Near the midline (opposite of distal)

Distal

Farthest from the midline (opposite of proximal)

Medial

Near the midline (opposite of lateral)

Lateral

Near sides of the body (opposite of medial)

aden/o

gland

adip/o

fat

anter/o

before,front

caud/o

lower part of body

cephal/o

head

cyt/o, -cyte

cell

end-, endo-

In, Within, Inside

exo-

Out of, Outside, Away from

hist/o

tissue

\-ologist

specialist

\-ology

the study of

path/o, -pathy

Disease, suffering, feeling emotion

plas/i, plas/o, -plasia

Development, growth, formation

poster/o

Towards the back

\-stasis, -static

Control, maintenance of a constant level

Anatomy

Study of the structures of the body

Physiology

Study of the functions of the human body.

Anatomic Position

Describes the body by standing in the standard position

Body Planes

Imaginary vertical and horizontal lines used to divide the body into sections

Peritoneum

Multi-layered membrane that protects the organs in the abdominal cavity

Parietal peritoneum

Outer layer that lines the interior of the abdomen wall

Mesentery

Fused double layer that attaches to part of the intestine

Visceral peritoneum

Inner layer that surrounds the organs of the abdominal cavity

Retroperitoneal

Behind the peritoneum

Cells

Basic functional units of the body