emt ch 5 med terms & abbreviations

abduction

motion of limb away from midline

adduction

motion of limb toward the midline

anterior

the front surface of the body; the side facing you in anatomical position

apex (plural apices)

the pointed extremity of a conical strucutre

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 extremeity

dorsal

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

extension

straightening of a joint

flexion

bending of a joint

fowler position

an inclined position in which the head of the bed is raised

interior

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 anatomical 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 adb cavity, in which two imaginary lines intersect at the umbilicus, dividing the abd into four equal areas

suffix

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

superficial

closer to or one the skin

superior

above a body part or nearer to the head

supine

lying face up

ventral

the anterior side of the body

word root

the main part of a term that contains the primary meaning

cardi

heart

hepat

liver

nephr

kidney

hyper-

over, excesive, high

hypo-

under, below normal

tachy-

rapid, fast

brady-

slow

pre-

before

post-

after

-al, -ic

pertaining to

-algia

pertaining to pain

-ectomy

surgical removal of

-itis

inflammation

-logy

study of

-logist

specialist

-megaly

enlargement

-meter

measuring instrument

-oma

tumor (referring to cancer)

-pathy

disease

uni-

one

dipl-

two;double

null-

none

primi-

first

multi-

many

bi-

two

tri-

three

quad-, tetra-

four

quint-

five

sext-

six

sept-

seven

oct-

eight

nona-

nine

deca-

ten

semi-

half; partial

hemi-

half; one sided

ambi-

both

pan-

all, entire

cyan/o

blue

leuk/o

white

erythr/o

red

cirrh/o

yellow-orange

melan/o

black

poli/o

gray

alb

white

chlor/o

green

ab-

away from

ad-

to, toward

de-

down from, away

circum-

around, about

peri-

around

trans-

across, through, eyond

epi-

above, upon, on

supra-

above, over

retro-

behind

sub-

under, beneath

infra-

below, under

para-

near, beside, beyond, apart from

contra-

against, opposite

ecto-

out, outside

endo-

within

extra-

outside, in addition

intra-

inside, within

ipsi-

same

~

approximately

N

normal

abdomin/o

abdomen

acou/o

hear

aden/o

gland

adip/o

fat