Med

Term

Meaning

ANATOMICAL POSITION

standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides, palms forward, feet parallel, toes forward

ANATOMICAL DIRECTION TERMS

anterior (ventral)

toward the front of the body

posterior (dorsal)

toward the back of the body

medial

toward the midline

lateral

toward the side, away from the midline

proximal

nearer the point of attachment

distal

farther from the point of attachment

superior

above

inferior

below

cephalad (cranial)

toward the head

caudal

toward the lower end of the spine

superficial (external)

close to the surface

deep (internal)

close to the center

BODY PLANES

frontal (coronal) plane

divides body into anterior and posterior parts

sagittal plane

divides body into right and left parts

mid-sagittal plane

sagittal plane through the midline, equal right and left

parasagittal plane

sagittal plane off the midline, unequal right and left

transverse plane

divides body into superior and inferior parts

MOVEMENTS BY PLANE

frontal plane movements

abduction, adduction, side bending

sagittal plane movements

flexion, extension

transverse plane movements

rotation, twisting

BODY CAVITIES

dorsal body cavity

posterior cavity, protects brain and spinal cord

cranial cavity

contains brain

vertebral (spinal) cavity

contains spinal cord

ventral body cavity

anterior cavity, contains major organs

thoracic cavity

above diaphragm, contains heart and lungs

pleural cavity

space surrounding each lung

mediastinum

central compartment between lungs

pericardial cavity

space surrounding the heart

abdominopelvic cavity

below diaphragm, contains digestive and pelvic organs

abdominal cavity

major digestive organs

pelvic cavity

urinary, reproductive, rectal organs

oral cavity

teeth and tongue

nasal cavity

passageway for air

orbital cavity

houses eyes

synovial cavity

space within a joint

BODY POSITIONS

supine

lying face up

prone

lying face down

decubitus

lying down, named by the side resting on the surface

dorsal recumbent

on back, knees bent, feet flat

Fowler

on back, head elevated, knees elevated

Trendelenburg

on back, head lowered relative to feet

lateral recumbent

lying on the side

Sims

left side, right leg drawn up, chest forward

lithotomy

on back, legs flexed, thighs apart

knee-chest

on knees, chest and head on table

Kraske (jackknife)

prone with buttocks raised

ROOTS AND COMBINING FORMS, HEAD AND TRUNK

cephal, cephal/o

head

crani, crani/o

skull

encephal, encephal/o

brain

ophthalm, ophthalm/o

eye

blephar, blephar/o

eyelid

ot, ot/o

ear

rhin, rhin/o

nose

palat, palat/o

palate

bucc, bucc/o

cheek

cervic, cervic/o

neck

thorac, thorac/o

chest, thorax

abdomin, abdomin/o

abdomen

celi, celi/o

abdomen

lapar, lapar/o

abdominal wall

lumb, lumb/o

lower back, lumbar region

periton, peritone/o

peritoneum

cardi, cardi/o

heart

pulmon, pulmon/o

lungs

cost, cost/o

ribs

gastr, gastr/o

stomach

hepat, hepat/o

liver

splen, splen/o

spleen

ROOTS AND COMBINING FORMS, EXTREMITIES

acro, acr/o

extremity, end

brachi, brachi/o

arm

humer, humer/o

humerus, upper arm

antebrachi, antebrachi/o

forearm

radi, radi/o

radius, outer forearm bone, sometimes radiation

uln, uln/o

ulna, inner forearm bone

carp, carp/o

wrist

phalang, phalang/o

finger or toe bones

femor, femor/o

thigh

tibi, tibi/o

tibia

tars, tars/o

ankle

calcane, calcane/o

heel bone

patell, patell/o

kneecap

crur, crur/o

lower leg

dactyl, dactyl/o

finger or toe

ped, ped/o

foot

pod, pod/o

foot

manu, manu/o

hand

chir, chir/o

hand

ROOTS FOR CELLS, TISSUES, AND ACTIVITY

cyt, cyt/o, -cyte

cell

nucle, nucle/o

nucleus

kary, kary/o

nucleus

hist, hist/o, histi/o

tissue

fibr, fibr/o

fiber

reticul, reticul/o

network

aden, aden/o

gland

adip, adip/o

fat

oste, oste/o

bone

blast, blast/o

immature cell

phag, phag/o

eat, engulf

gen, gen/o

origin, production

plas, plas/o

formation, growth

troph, troph/o

nourishment, development

ROOTS FOR DISEASE

path, path/o

disease

carcin, carcin/o

cancer

onc, onc/o

tumor

scler, scler/o

hard

thromb, thromb/o

clot

necr, necr/o

death

tox, tox/o

poison

melan, melan/o

black, dark

erythr, erythr/o

red

leuk, leuk/o

white

cyan, cyan/o

blue

xanth, xanth/o

yellow

PREFIXES, DIRECTION AND POSITION

ab-

away from

ad-

toward, near

de-

down, from, without

dia-

through

ex-

out, away from

exo-

outside, outward

in-

in, into

re-

back, again

retro-

backward

trans-

across, through

ambi-

both sides

ante-

before, in front

circum-

around

ecto-, ec-

outside

endo-

within

epi-

upon, over

extra-

outside, beyond

hypo-

under, below

infra-

beneath, below

inter-

between

intra-

within

juxta-

near

meso-

middle

para-

near, beside

peri-

around

pre-

before

pro-

before, in front

sub-

under

supra-

above

dextr/o-

right

sinistr/o-

left

syn-, sym-

together

tel/e-, tel/o-

end

PREFIXES, NUMBERS

an-

none, without

mono-

one

primi-

first

bi-

two

di-

two

dipl-

double

tri-

three

quadri-

four

penta-

five

hemi-

half

semi-

half, partial

poly-

many

multi-

many

pan-

all

SUFFIXES, PROCEDURES AND INSTRUMENTS

-tome

instrument used for cutting

-scope

instrument used for viewing

-scopy

visual examination with an instrument

-ectomy

excision, removal

-tomy

incision, cutting into

-stomy

creation of an opening

-plasty

repair, reconstruction

-pexy

surgical fixation

-rrhaphy

suture, sewing

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-lysis

destruction, breakdown, separation

-tripsy

surgical crushing

-graph

instrument for recording

-graphy

process of recording

-gram

record

-meter

instrument for measuring

-metry

process of measuring

SUFFIXES, CONDITIONS AND SYMPTOMS

-itis

inflammation

-osis

abnormal condition, disease

-emia

blood condition

-megaly

enlargement

-penia

deficiency, lack

-pathy

disease

-oma

tumor, mass

-sclerosis

hardening

-algia, -dynia

pain

-malacia

softening

-uria

urine condition

-pnea

breathing condition

-rrhage, -rrhagia

excessive bleeding

-rrhea

discharge, flow

-ptosis

drooping, prolapse

-cele

hernia

-phobia

abnormal fear

-spasm

cramp

-rrhexis

rupture

SUFFIXES, SPECIALTIES AND SPECIALISTS

-logy

study of

-logist

specialist in the study of

-iatry

medical specialty

-iatrics

medical specialty

-ian, -ist

specialist

-iatrician

physician, specialist