Medical Terminology

Anatomical Positions/directions 

  • Ventral - front surface of body (anterior)

  • Dorsal - back surface of the body (posterior) 

  • Superior - closest to head

  • Inferior - closest to feet

  • Proximal - closest to point of attachment

  • Distal - farthest from point of attachment

  • Medial - closest to midline

  • Lateral - farthest from midline 

  • Deep - farthest from surface of the skin

  • Superficial - closest to surface of the skin

  • Flexion - decreasing angle of joint

  • Extension - increasing angle of joint

  • Adduction - motion toward midline

  • Abduction - motion away from midline 

  • Prone - lying face down

  • Supine - lying face up  

o Medical Suffixes 

  • Occurs after word root 

  • Usually indicate a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech

Suffix

Meaning

-al 

Pertaining to

-algia

Pertaining to pain

-ectomy 

Surgical removal of

-ic

Pertaining to

-itis

Inflammation 

-logy

Study of

-logist 

Specialist 

-megaly 

Enlargement 

-meter 

Measuring instrument 

-ema

Tumor (usually referring to cancer)

-pathy

Disease 

o Medical Prefixes 

  • Occurs before word root

  • Generally describes location and intensity 

Prefix

Meaning

hyper-  

Over, excessive, high

hypo-

Under, below normal

tachy- 

Rapid, fast

brady-

slow

pre-

before

post-

after


o Common medical terminology  

  • Nephropathy: disease of kidney

  • Dysuria: painful urination

  • Hyperemesis: excessive vomiting

  • Analgesic: pertaining to no pain 

o Abbreviations (common ones, universally accepted ones)