Medical Terminology - Chapter 1 and 2

ventral

refers to the front, or belly side, of the organ or body

dorsal

refers to the back of the organ or body

anterior

situated in front of or directed toward the front

posterior

situated behind or at the back

superior

uppermost, above, or toward the head

inferior

lowermost, below, or toward the feet

cephalic

toward the head

caudal

toward the lower part of the body

proximal

situated nearest the midline or beginning of a body structure

distal

situated farthest from the midline or beginning of a body structure

medial

the direction toward, or nearer, the midline

lateral

the direction toward, or nearer, the side of the body, away from the midline

vertical plane

an up-and-down plane that is a right angle to the horizon

sagittal plane

a vertical plane that divides the body into unequal left and right portions

midsagittal plane

midline, divides the body into equal left and right halves

frontal plane

a vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions

horizontal plane

a flat crosswise plane, such as the horizon

transverse plane

a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions

anter/o

before, in front

caud/o

lower part of body, tail

poster/o

behind, toward the back

-stasis, -static

control, maintenance of a constant level

-al

pertaining to

-algia

pain, suffering

appendic/o

appendix

arteri/o

artery

arthr/o

joint

ather/o

plaque, fatty substance

cardi/o

heart

chondr/o

cartilage

col/o

colon

-dynia

pain

dys-

bad, painful, difficult

-ectomy

surgical removal

enter/o

small intestine

gastr/o

stomach

-graphy

process of recording

hem/o

blood

hyper-

excessive

hypo-

under, below

-ic

pertaining to

-itis

inflammation of

laryng/o

larynx

-malacia

abnormal softening

-megaly

enlargement

myc/o

fungus

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

my/o

muscle

-necrosis

tissue death

nephr/o

kidney

neur/o

nerve

-ologist

specialist

-ology

study of

-osis

abnormal condition

oste/o

bone

ot/o

ear

-otomy

surgical incision

-pathy

disease

peri-

surrounding

-plasty

surgical repair

poly-

many

py/o

pus

rhin/o

nose

-rrhage

bleeding, abnormal excessive fluid discharge

-rraphy

to suture or stitch

-rrhea

flow, discharge

-rrhexis

rupture

-sclerosis

abnormal hardening

-scopy

visual examination

-stenosis

abnormal narrowing

sub-

under, below

supra-

above, upper, excessive

eu-

good, normal

dys-

bad, painful, difficult

inter-

between

intra-

within

iso-

equal

mal-

bad

mes-

middle

meta-

after

pan-, pant(o)

all, entire

per-

through

pro-

before

sub-

under, less than, inferior

super-

more than, above, superior

supra-

above, upper

9 regions of the abdomen

right hypochondriac, epigastric, left hypochondriac, right lumbar, umbilical, left lumbar, right iliac, hypogastric, left iliac

4 quadrants

right upper quadrant, left upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left lower quadrant

dorsal cavity

located along the back of the body and head and contains organs of nervous system that coordinate body functions (divided into two portions: cranial, spinal)

cranial cavity

pertaining to the skull

spinal cavity

located in the spinal cord, surrounds and protects

ventral cavity

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

thoracic cavity

chest cavity, thorax, surrounds and protects heart and lungs

abdominal cavity

contains major organs of digestion

pelvic cavity

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

peritoneum

a multilayered membrane that protects and holds the organs in place within the abdominal cavity

parietal peritoneum

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

mesentery

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

visceral peritoneum

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

retroperitoneal

located behind the peritoneum