anatomical references

medical terminology

Anatomy

the study of the structures of the body

Anatomical

referring to anatomy

Physiology

the study of the functions of the structures of the body

physi

nature or physical

ology

study of

The anatomical position

Describes the body standing in the standard position, standing up straight so that the body is erect and facing forward, holding the arms at the sides with the hands turned so that the palms face toward the front

Imaginary vertical and horizontal lines

Used to divide the body into sections for descriptive purposes, aligned to a body standing in the anatomical position

Sagittal

vertical plane; divides the body into unequal left and right portions

Midsagittal

midline; sagittal plane; divides the body into equal left and right halves

Frontal

coronal; vertical plane; divides the body into anterior and posterior portions

Transverse plane

divides the body into superior and inferior portions

Relative location of sections of the body or of an organ

Described through the use of pairs of contrasting body direction terms

Ventral

opposite of dorsal; refers to the front, or belly side

Dorsal

opposite of ventral; refers to the back of the organ or body

Cephalic

opposite of caudal; means toward the head

Caudal

opposite of cephalic; means toward the lower part of the body

Anterior

opposite of posterior; means situated in the front

Posterior

opposite of anterior, means situated in the back

Superior

opposite of inferior; means uppermost, above, or toward the head

Inferior

opposite of superior; means lowermost, below, or toward the feet

Proximal

opposite of distal; means situated nearest the midline or beginning of a body structure

Distal

opposite of proximal; means situated farthest from the midline or beginning of a body structure

Medial

opposite of lateral; means the direction toward, or nearer, the midline

Lateral

opposite of medial; means the direction toward, or nearer, the side of the body, away from the midline

Dorsal cavity

Located along the back of the body and head, contains organs of the nervous system, coordinates body functions

Cranial cavity

located within the skull, surrounds and protects the brain

Spinal cavity

located within the spinal column, surrounds and protects the spinal cord

Ventral cavity

Located along the front of the body, contains the organs that sustain homeostasis

Thoracic cavity

also known as the chest cavity or thorax

Diaphragm

muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities

Abdominal cavity

contains the major organs of digestion

Pelvic cavity

space formed by the hip bones; contains the organs of the reproductive and excretory systems

Abdominopelvic cavity

refers to the abdominal and pelvic cavities as a single unit

Inguinal

refers to the entire lower area of the abdomen; includes the groin

Right and left hypochondriac regions

covered by the lower ribs

Epigastric region

located above the stomach

Right and left lumbar regions

located near the inward curve of the spine

Umbilical region

surrounds the umbilicus, commonly known as the belly button or navel

Right and left iliac regions

located near the hip bones

Hypogastric region

located below the stomach

quadrant

divided into four

Parietal peritoneum

outer layer of the peritoneum that lines the interior of the abdominal wall

parietal

cavity wall

Mesentery

fused double layer of the parietal peritoneum that attaches parts of the intestine to the interior abdominal wall

Visceral peritoneum

inner layer of the peritoneum that surrounds the organs of the abdominal cavity

visceral

pertaining to internal organs

Retroperitoneal

located behind the peritoneum

Peritonitis

inflammation of the peritoneum

Cytology

study of the anatomy, physiology, pathology, and chemistry of cells

Cytologist

specialist in the study and analysis of cells

Cell membrane

tissue that surrounds and protects the contents of a cell from the external environment

Cytoplasm

Material within the cell membrane that is not part of the nucleus

Nucleus

Structure within the cell, surrounded by the nuclear membrane, controls the activities of the cell, helps cell divide

Unspecialized cells

Able to renew themselves for long periods of time by cell division, under certain conditions, can be transformed into cells with special functions

Adult stem cells

somatic stem cells; undifferentiated cells found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ, normally the primary role of these cells is to maintain and repair the tissue

Undifferentiated

not having a specialized function or structure

Differentiated

having a specialized function or structure

Embryonic stem cells

Undifferentiated cells that are unlike any specific adult cell, have the ability to form any adult cell, can proliferate indefinitely in a laboratory; could potentially provide a source for adult muscle, liver, bone, or blood cells

embryonic

referring to an embryo, a developing fetus during in its first eight weeks in the womb

Stem cell therapy

regenerative medicine; has many potential uses to heal injuries and treat diseases