AGV 120: Veterinary Medical Terminology, Anatomical Systems, and Directional Planes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering veterinary medical terminology origins, prefixes, suffixes, combining roots, anatomical directional terms, recumbency positions, body planes, and major organ systems based on course lecture materials.

Anatomical Planes of the Body (Veterinary)

Standard spatial reference planes dividing the animal's body: median plane (divides into equal right and left halves), sagittal plane (runs parallel to midline on either side), dorsal plane (divides dorsal and ventral portions), and transverse plane (divides cranial and caudal portions).

Directional Reference Terms in Veterinary Anatomy

Positional descriptors indicating location relative to the body: cranial (toward the head), caudal (toward the tail), rostral (toward the tip of the nose/beak), dorsal (toward the back), ventral (toward the belly), anterior (toward the front), posterior (toward the rear), palmar (bottom of front paw), and plantar (bottom of hind paw).

AGV 120 Case Challenge Portfolio

A comprehensive project due 11/30/26 (with peer reviews due 12/7/26) requiring one case study and one study tool across 8 body systems, incorporating at least five word-bank terms per case along with client-friendly translations.

Hippocrates

Known as 'The Father of Medicine'; an ancient Greek physician who, alongside Galen, initiated a systematic observational and descriptive approach to medicine during the Hellenistic period.

Galen

A prominent ancient Greek physician and anatomist who pioneered systematic anatomical observations and medical terminology.

Avicenna and Averroes

Historical medical scholars who preserved foundational Greek medical knowledge by translating major medical texts into Latin as the Roman Empire became dominant.

Rudolf Virchow

A 19th-century German physician and pathologist who was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the modern standardization of medical terminology.

International Anatomical Nomenclature Committee (IANC)

An organization established in 1890 (initially formed as the International Nomenclature Committee) responsible for establishing standardized international anatomical nomenclature.

Combining Vowel

A vowel—most commonly the letter 'o'—used in medical terminology to connect roots to other roots or to suffixes to ease verbal pronunciation.

Dorsal Plane

An anatomical plane that divides the body into dorsal (back) and ventral (belly) sections.

Median Plane

An anatomical plane that divides the body longitudinally into equal right and left halves.

Sagittal Plane

An anatomical plane dividing the body in a straight line/arrow on either side of the midline, parallel to the median plane.

Transversal (Transverse) Plane

An anatomical plane that divides the body or body parts into cranial (head-end) and caudal (tail-end) segments.

Cranial vs Caudal

Cranial refers to a direction towards the head; Caudal refers to a direction towards the tail.

Dorsal vs Ventral

Dorsal refers to a direction towards the back; Ventral refers to a direction towards the belly.

Rostral

A directional term referring specifically to the nose or beak on the head.

Proximal vs Distal

Proximal means near to the point of origin or reference; Distal means distant from the point of origin or reference.

Palmar vs Plantar

Palmar pertains to the caudal/undersurface of the front foot (palm); Plantar pertains to the caudal/undersurface of the hind foot (sole).

Medial vs Lateral

Medial means towards the middle or midline of the body; Lateral means toward the sides or away from the midline.

Anterior vs Posterior

Anterior means toward the front; Posterior means towards the rear.

Carpus vs Tarsus

Carpus refers to the joint of the front leg (wrist equivalent); Tarsus refers to the joints of the rear leg (hock/ankle equivalent).

Oblique

A directional term indicating an angled orientation or slanting trajectory.

Lateral Recumbency

A resting or restrained laying position where the animal lies on its side (designated as either right lateral or left lateral recumbency).

Dorsal Recumbency

A laying position where the animal rests on its back (also known as supine).

Ventral Recumbency

A laying position where the animal rests on its chest or belly (also known as sternal recumbency or prone).

Radiographic Terminology Ordering Rule

The clinical standard dictating that combined directional terms must be ordered according to the entry and exit path of the X-ray beam through the patient's body (e.g., dorsoventral indicates entry at the back and exit at the belly).

Prefixes: "A-" / "An-"

Prefixes denoting negation, absence, or lack of something.

Prefixes: "Anti-" / "Contra-"

Prefixes signifying opposition or acting against something.

Prefixes: "Inter-" / "Dia-" vs "Intra-"

"Inter-" and "Dia-" mean between or among structures; "Intra-" means within or inside a structure.

Prefixes: "Exo-" / "Ec-" / "Ef-" vs "Endo-"

"Exo-", "Ec-", and "Ef-" mean outside or external; "Endo-" means inside or within.

Prefixes: "Hypo-" vs "Hyper-"

"Hypo-" indicates below, deficient, or inadequate; "Hyper-" indicates above, excessive, or beyond normal.

Prefixes: "Brady-" vs "Tachy-"

"Brady-" indicates slowness or a reduced rate; "Tachy-" indicates fast or rapid rate.

Prefixes: "Pan-", "Peri-" / "Circum-", and "Trans-"

"Pan-" means all or entire; "Peri-" and "Circum-" mean around or surrounding; "Trans-" means across or through.

Suffix: "-ectomy"

A surgical suffix denoting the surgical removal or excision of a specific organ or tissue.

Suffix: "-plasty"

A surgical suffix denoting the surgical repair or reconstruction of a body part, typically to restore function.

Suffix: "-centesis"

A procedural suffix indicating a surgical puncture or tap of a body cavity to aspirate fluid.

Suffixes: "-tomy" vs "-stomy"

"-tomy" denotes an incision or cutting into an organ/tissue; "-stomy" denotes the surgical creation of an artificial permanent or semi-permanent opening.

Suffix: "-pexy"

A surgical suffix indicating fixation or fastening of an organ in position.

Suffix: "-itis"

A pathological suffix designating inflammation of a particular organ or tissue.

Suffix: "-penia"

A hematologic/pathologic suffix indicating a deficiency or abnormal decrease in quantity.

Suffix: "-rrhea"

A suffix indicating an abnormal flow or discharge.

Suffix: "-lysis" / "-lytic"

Suffixes denoting dissolution, breakdown, destruction, or separation.

Arteries vs Veins

Arteries are thick, highly muscular vessels transporting blood under high pressure away from the heart; veins are low-pressure vessels containing backflow valves that transport blood toward the heart.

Systole vs Diastole

Systole is the phase of the cardiac cycle representing contraction; Diastole is the phase representing expansion, relaxation, and chamber filling.

Infarction

Localized tissue death (necrosis) caused by a sudden lack of blood supply resulting from vascular obstruction.

Thrombus

A stationary blood clot formed within a blood vessel or cardiac chamber.

Petechiae

Pinpoint, round, non-raised purplish red spots on the skin or mucous membranes caused by minor capillary bleeding.

Roots: "Cardi(o)-", "Angi(o)-", "Phleb(o)-"

"Cardi(o)-" means heart; "Angi(o)-" means vessel; "Phleb(o)-" means vein.

Epiglottis

A thin cartilaginous flap at the base of the tongue that covers the trachea and larynx during swallowing to prevent aspiration.

Atelectasis

The partial or complete collapse of a lung or alveolar air sacs, preventing normal gas exchange.

Stridor

A harsh, high-pitched respiratory sound caused by turbulent airflow through a narrowed or obstructed upper airway.

Epistaxis

Hemorrhage or bleeding originating from the nose or nasal cavity.

Pneumothorax

An abnormal accumulation of air or gas within the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs.

Roots: "Pulmon(o)-" vs "Pneum(o)-"

"Pulmon(o)-" specifically refers to the lung; "Pneum(o)-" refers to air, gas, or breath.

Peristalsis

Symmetrical, wave-like involuntary muscular contractions that propel contents down tubular digestive pathways such as the esophagus and intestines.

Rugae

Internal mucosal folds along the wall of the stomach that allow organ expansion during feeding.

Intussusception

The pathological telescoping or invagination of one portion of the intestine into an adjacent downstream segment.

Melena

Dark, black, tarry feces resulting from the digestion of blood from the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Obstipation

Severe, intractable constipation where the passage of feces is completely blocked.

Tenesmus

Persistent, ineffectual, and painful straining to evacuate the bowels or bladder.

Omentum

An apron-like fold of peritoneal tissue covering and cushioning the abdominal viscera, storing fat, and isolating local infections.

Roots: "Gastr(o)-", "Enter(o)-", "Cholecyst(o)-"

"Gastr(o)-" refers to the stomach; "Enter(o)-" refers to the intestines; "Cholecyst(o)-" refers to the gallbladder.

Skin Layers: Epidermis, Dermis, Hypodermis

The three anatomical layers of the integumentary system: Epidermis (outermost cellular barrier), Dermis (middle layer containing sweat glands, oil glands, hair follicles, and vessels), and Hypodermis (subcutaneous adipose layer providing insulation).

Purulent

Pertaining to, containing, or discharging pus.

Alopecia

The partial or complete loss or absence of hair or fur from skin areas where it normally grows.

Paronychia

Inflammation or infection of the tissue surrounding or adjacent to a claw or nail.

Roots: "Derm(o)-", "Hist(o)-", "Kerat(o)-", "Sarc(o)-"

"Derm(o)-" / "Dermat(o)-" means skin; "Hist(o)-" means tissue; "Kerat(o)-" means horn/keratin; "Sarc(o)-" means flesh.

Periosteum

A dense, fibrous vascular membrane that envelops the outer surface of bones, except at the surfaces of joints.

Medullary Cavity

The central hollow cylinder located within long bones that stores bone marrow.

Abduction vs Adduction

Abduction is movement drawing a limb away from the median plane/midline; Adduction is movement drawing a limb toward the median plane/midline.

Flexion vs Extension

Flexion is bending a joint to decrease the angle between connecting bones; Extension is straightening a joint to increase the angle between bones.

Luxation vs Subluxation

Luxation is a complete dislocation of a joint displacing articulating bones; Subluxation is an incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint.

Tendon vs Ligament

A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue connecting muscle to bone; a ligament connects bone to bone across a joint.

Roots: "Oste(o)-", "Chondr(o)-", "Arthr(o)-", "Spondyl(o)-"

"Oste(o)-" / "Oss-" means bone; "Chondr(o)-" means cartilage; "Arthr(o)-" means joint; "Spondyl(o)-" means vertebra or spinal column.

Central vs Peripheral Nervous System

The Central Nervous System (CNS) comprises the brain and spinal cord; the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) comprises cranial and spinal nerves branching outward, including somatic and autonomic divisions.

Nociception

The sensory and neural processing of encoding, transmitting, and perceiving noxious (potentially tissue-damaging or painful) stimuli.

Synapse

The specialized microscopic junction across which an electrical or chemical nerve impulse is communicated between two neurons or between a neuron and a target effector cell.

Syncope

A sudden, temporary loss of consciousness and postural tone (fainting) caused by transient insufficient cerebral blood flow.

Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD)

A spinal pathology characterized by displacement, herniation, or degeneration of intervertebral discs causing severe compression on the spinal cord and adjacent nerves.

Roots: "Encephal(o)-", "Esthesi(o)-", "Ict(o)-"

"Encephal(o)-" means brain; "Esthesi(o)-" / "Esthet(o)-" means sensation or feeling; "Ict(o)-" means seizure or convulsion.