Basic Medical Language 7th Edition Chapter 2

anter/o

front

caud/o

tail (downward)

cephal/od

head (upwards)

dist/o

away (from the point of attachement)

dors/o

back

infer/o

below

later/o

side

medi/o

middle

poster/o

back, behind

proxim/o

near (the point of attachment)

radi/o

x-rays (ionizing radiation)

son/o

sound

super/o

above

tom/o

cut, section, or slice

ventr/o

belly (front)

-ad

toward

-al, -ic, -ior

pertaining to

anterior

pertaining to the fron

anterolateral

pertaining to the front and to the side

anteromedial

pertaining to the front and to the middle

anteroposterior

pertaining to the front and to the back

anterosuperior

pertaining to the front and above

caudad

toward the tail

caudal

pertaining to the tail

cephalad

toward the head

cephalic

pertaining to the head

distal

pertaining to away

dorsal

pertaining to the back

inferior

pertaining to below

inferolateral

pertaining to below and to the side

lateral

pertaining to the side

medial

pertaining to the middle

mediolateral

pertaining to the middle and to the side

posterior

pertaining to back, behind

posteranterior

pertaining to the back and to the front

posterolateral

pertaining to the back and to the side

proximal

pertaining to near

superior

pertaining to above

superolateral

pertaining to above and to the side

ventral

pertaining to the belly

axial plane

horizontal field dividing the body into superior and inferior portions

axial plane

axial plane

also called transverse plane and horizontal plane

coronal plane

vertical field passing through the body from side to side, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions

coronal plane

coronal place

also called frontal plane

sagittal plane

vertical field running through the body from front to back, dividing the body into right and left sides

sagittal plane

umbilical region

around the naval

lumbar region

to the right and left of the umbilical region

epigastric region

superior to the umbilical region

hypochondriac regions

to the right and left of the epigastric region

hypogastric region

inferior to the umbilical region

iliac region

to the right and left of the hypogastric region

lateral position

lying one one side with knees bent

orthopnea position

siting erect in a chair or sitting upright in bed supported by pillows behind the back

prone position

lying on the abdomen, facing downward

semiprone position

lying on one side between a lateral and prone position with the upper knee drawn up toward the chest and the lower arm drawn behind, parallel to the back

sitting position

bed position with head of the bed elevated at an angle between 15 and 90 degree and with slight elevation of the knees

supine position

lying the back, facing upwards

Trendelenburg position

lying on back with body tilted so that the head is lower than the feet

high fowler

90 degrees

standard fowler

45-60 degrees

semi fowler

30-45 degrees

low fowler

15-30 degrees

magnetic resonance imaging

high strength, computer-controlled magnetic fields producing a series of sectional images that visualize abnormalities such as swelling, infections, tumors, and herniated disks

nuclear medicine

imaging of internal structures by using a Gamma camera to detect radiation from different parts of the body after a radioactive material has been given to the patient

radiography

process of recording x-rays

sonography

process of using a sonograph (ultrasonography)

tomography

process of recording slices