Basics of the Body Terms

combining form

a root word plus a combining vowel, which are provided for ease in building medical terms

prefix

a single letter or group of letters attached to the front of a root word; usually indicate location, time, or number

suffix

a single letter or group of letters attached to the end of a root word; usually indicate a condition, disease, diagnostic or surgical treatment, or therapeutic remedy

Anter/o

Front

Arthr/o

Joint

Bi/o

Life

Cardi/o

Heart

caud/o

tail

cephal/o

head

cervic/o

neck; cervix (neck of uterus)

col/o, colon/o

large intestine; colon

cost/o

rib

cyt/o

cell

dist/o

away from the point of origin; far; distant

dors/o

back of the body

enter/o

intestines (usually the small intestine)

gastr/o

stomach

glyc/o

sugar; glucose

hepat/o

liver

hist/o

tissue

infer/o

below

later/o

side

lip/o

fat

log/o

study

medi/o

middle

my/o

muscle

neur/o

nerve

path/o

disease

poster/o

back (of body); behind

proxim/o

near the point of origin; near; close

sarc/o

flesh; connective tissue

super/o

above

thorac/o

chest

ventr/o

belly side of body; ventral aspect

viscer/o

internal organs

a-,an-

not; without

ante-

before

anti-

against

bi-

two; both

brady-

slow

endo-

in; within

epi-

on; over; upon

hyper-

above; above normal; excessive

hypo-

below; below normal; deficient

inter-

between

intra-

within; into

peri-

around; surrounding

sub-

below;under

supra-

above

tachy-

fast

trans-

across

-ac,-al,-ar,-ary,-iac,-ial,-ic,-ical,-ior

pertaining to

-algia

pain

-cyte

cell

-ectomy

surgical removal; excision

-emia

blood condition

-gen

substance that produces

-ia

condition

-ine

a substance (noun) pertaining to (adjective)

-itis

inflammation

-logist

specialist (one who studies)

-logy

study of

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

tumor; mass

-osis

abnormal condition

-pathy

disease

-plasty

surgical repair

-stomy

surgical opening

-tomy

process of cutting; incision

-um

structure;tissue;thing

Anatomy

The study of the structures of the body

Physiology

the study of the functions of the structures in the body

pathophysiology

the study of disease

Anatomical position

A person is standing upright with the head and feet facing forward, the arms at the sides, and the palms of the hands facing forward

Anatomical planes

Imaginary, flat sections used to divide the body

Frontal plane (AKA coronal plane)

vertical plane that divides the body in front and back sections (anterior/ventral and posterior/dorsal)

Anterior/ventral

Front

Posterior/dorsal

back

midsagittal plane

plane that divides the body into right and left halves

sagittal plane

when the midsagittal plane is visualized anywhere but the center on the body

Medial

near the midline

lateral

near the side of the body; away from the midline

distal

away from the point of origin

Transverse Plane (cross-section plane)

horizontal plane that divides the body into superior and inferior sections

superior

above

inferior

below

cephalic

relating to the head, or situated near the head

caudal

relating to, or situated near the tail/inferior end of the body

erect

normal standing position

Fowler’s position

A semi-sitting position; head of bed elevated (like at the dentist)

knee-chest

lying facedown with knees bent while resting on the knees and chest

lateral position

left or right side; lying position

prone

lying flat with the face down

Sims’ position

lying on the side with the hip and knee straight, and the other hip and knee bent or flexed

supine

lying flat with the face up

Body cavity

a space within the body that contains and protects internal organs and other body structures. 2 main ones; dorsal and ventral

dorsal cavity

protects organs and tissues within the back side of the body. Divided into 2; cranial and spinal

cranial cavity

located within skull. Protects brain

spinal cavity

Within spinal column. Protects spinal cord

Ventral cavity

protects organs and tissues within the front side of the body/ Divided into 3; thoracic, abdominal, pelvic