Ch. 4: Body Structures

cytology

study of the body at the cellular level

histology

study of tissues

coronal plane

divides body into anterior and posterior sections

transverse plane

divides the body into superior and inferior sections

midsagittal plane

divides the body into left/right halves

abduction

movement AWAY from the midsagittal plane of body

adduction

movement TOWARD the midsagittal plane of body

medial

pertaining to the midline of body or structure

lateral

pertaining to a side

superior (cephalad)

toward the head or upper portion of a structure

inferior (caudal)

away from the head, or toward the tail or lower part of a structure

proximal

nearer to the center (trunk of the body) or from point of attachment to body

distal

further from the center (trunk of the body) or from point of attachment to body

anterior (ventral)

front of the body

posterior (dorsal)

back of the body

parietal

pertaining to the outer wall of the body cavity

visceral

pertaining to the viscera, or internal organs, especially the abdominal organs

prone

lying on abdomen, face down

supine

lying horizontally on back, face up

inversion

turning inward or inside out

eversion

turning outward

palmar

pertaining to palm of hand

plantar

pertaining to sole of foot

superficial

toward surface of body (external)

deep

away from the surface of body (internal)

dorsal cavity divisions

cranial (brain) and spinal (spinal cord)

ventral cavity divisions

thoracic (lungs and heart) and abdominopelvic (abdominal (liver, stomach, intestines, kidneys) and pelvic cavities (urinary bladder and reproductive organs))

right upper quadrant

right lobe of liver, gallbladder, part of pancreas, part of small and large intestines

left upper quadrant

left lobe of liver, stomach, spleen, part of pancreas, part of small and large intestines

right lower quadrant

part of small and large intestines, appendix, right ovary, right fallopian tube, right ureter

left lower quadrant

part of small and large intestines, left ovary, left fallopian tube, left ureter

right hypochondriac

upper right lateral region beneath ribs

epigastric

upper middle region

left hypochondriac

upper left lateral region beneath ribs

right lumbar

middle right lateral region

umbilical

region of navel

left lumbar

middle left lateral region

right inguinal (iliac)

lower right lateral region

hypogastric

lower middle region

left inguinal (iliac)

lower left lateral region

hist/o

tissue

kary/o

nucleus

karyolysis

destruction of the nucleus

caud/o

tail

caudad

toward the tail

cephal/o

head

-ad

toward

dors/o

back of body

albin/o

white

albinism

condition characterized by partial or total lack of pigment in skin, hair, eyes

leuk/o

white

leukocyte

white blood cell

chrom/o

color

heterochromia

associated with iris or sections of iris of eyes-different colored eyes

cirrh/o

yellow

cirrhosis

skin, sclera of eyes, mucous membranes take on yellow color

jaundice

yellowing of skin, mucous membranes, and sclera caused by excessive bilirubin in blood

xanth/o

yellow

xanthoma

nodule or patch composed of lipoid material commonly associated with disturbances in lipid metabolism

cyan/o

blue

cyanosis

associated with lack of oxygen in blood and bluish discoloration of skin

melan/o

black

melanoma

malignancy that arises from melanocytes

poli/o

gray; gray matter of brain or spinal cord

poliomyelitis

inflammation of the gray matter of spinal cord/bone marrow

radi/o

radiation, x-ray; radius (lower arm bone on thumb side)

tom/o

to cut

tomography

process of recording images that appear as cuts or slices of an organ or structure

viscer/o

internal organs

infra-

below, under

ultra-

excess, beyond

idiopathic disease

cause is unknown or exists without any connection with a known cause

adhesion

abnormal fibrous band that holds or binds together tissues that are normally separated

edema

abnormal accumulation of fluid within tissue spaces as a result of systemic disease or failure of the lymphatic system to drain tissue fluid from the site

febrile

having or showing symptoms of a fever

gangrene

death and decay of soft tissue, usually caused by circulatory obstruction or infection

hernia

protrusion of any organ through the structure that normally contains it

inflammation

body defense against injury, infection, or allergy marked by redness, swelling, heat, and pain, sometimes with loss of function

mycosis

any fungal infection in or on the body

perforation

hole that completely penetrates a structure

peritonitis

inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that surrounds the abdominal cavity and covers its organs, usually caused by bacteria or fungi

rupture

sudden breaking or bursting of structure or organ

septicemia

severe bacterial infection of the tissues that spreads to the blood, also called sepsis or blood poisoning

suppuration

process of forming pus

auscultation

listening to the heart, bowel, and lungs with or without a stethoscope to assess the presence and quality of sounds

inspection

general observation of patient as a whole, progressing to specific body areas

palpation

gentle application of hands to specific body structure or area to determine size, consistency, texture, symmetry, and tenderness of underlying structures

percussion

tapping a body structure with hand or fingers to assess consistency and presence or absence of fluids within underlying structure

endoscopy

visual examination of body cavity or canal using a specialized lighted instrument called an endoscope

blood chemistry analysis

lab test, usually performed on serum, to determine biochemical imbalances, abnormalities, and nutritional conditions (cholesterol test)

complete blood count (CBC)

broad screening test used to evaluate RBCs, WBCs, and platelets to determine anemias, infections, and other diseases

computed tomography (CT)

imaging technique that rotates an x-ray emitter around the area to be evaluated and measures intensity of transmitted rays from different angles (appears as a slice-may detect tumor masses, bone displacement, and fluid accumulation)

fluoroscopy

technique in which x-rays are directed through the body to a fluorescent screen that displays internal structures in continuous motion (cardiac catheterization, angiography, barium swallow)

magnetic resonance imagining (MRI)

technique that uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field, rather than an x-ray beam, to produce highly detailed, multiplanar, cross-sectional views of soft tissues (CNS, musculoskeletal, pelvic)

nuclear scan

technique in which radioactive material called a tracer is introduced into body and a specialized camera produces images of organs and structures (radiation comes from inside the body)

positron emission tomography (PET)

computed tomography records the positrons emitted from a radiopharmaceutical to produce a cross-sectional image of the metabolic activity of body tissues to determine presence of disease (useful in scanning brain and nervous system to diagnose disorders that involve abnormal tissue metabolism such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, stroke, Alzheimer disease)

radiography

technique in which x-rays are passed through body or area and captured on film to generate an image (X-RAY)

single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

radiological technique that integrates computed tomography (CT) and radioactive material (tracer) injected into the bloodstream to visualize blood flow to tissues and organs (differs from PET because tracer remains in bloodstream rather than being absorbed) (useful for visualizing blood flow through arteries and veins in brain)

ultrasonography

high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) directed at soft tissue and reflected as "echoes" to produce an image on a monitor of an internal body structure (creates real-time moving images)

excisional biopsy

entire lesion removed