Medical Term DE 1-29

Anatomical Planes

  • Inferior: Refers to structures located lower in the body.

  • Coronal Plane (Frontal Plane):

    • Divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections.

    • Visualization: Think of cutting down through the middle of the head, similar to positioning a crown on top of the head.

  • Terminology:

    • Anterior: Front portion of the body, also referred to as ventral.

    • Posterior: Back portion of the body, also referred to as dorsal (e.g., dorsal fin in sharks).

    • Midsagittal Plane: Divides the body into right and left halves.

    • Transverse Plane: Divides the body into superior (top) and inferior (bottom) parts.

Body Cavities

  • Ventral Cavity: Front cavity consisting of the thoracic and abdominal pelvic cavities.

    • Thoracic Cavity:

    • Definition: Pertaining to the chest.

    • Major Organs: Includes lungs and heart.

    • Diaphragm: Divides thoracic cavity from abdominal pelvic cavity, a dome-shaped muscle aiding in respiration.

    • Abdominal Pelvic Cavity:

    • Divided into:

      • Abdominal Cavity: Contains organs related to digestive and urinary systems.

      • Organ systems found:

        • Digestive System.

        • Urinary System.

        • Reproductive System.

      • Pelvic Cavity.

  • Dorsal Cavity:

    • Cranial Cavity: Contains the brain.

    • Spinal Cavity: Houses the spinal cord, protected by vertebrae.

Quadrant and Region Divisions of the Abdomen

  • Quadrants:

    • Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)

    • Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)

    • Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)

    • Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)

    • Important: When assessing the patient, the patient's right is opposite of the observer's right.

  • Regions:

    • Drawing a plus sign on the abdomen divides it into four quadrants.

    • Grid System (Tic Tac Toe Board):

    • Center = Umbilical Region

    • Above = Epigastric Region

    • Below = Hypogastric Region

    • Left/Right of Umbilical = Left/Right Lumbar Regions

    • Above Umbilical = Right/Left Hypochondriac Regions

    • Below Hypogastric = Right/Left Inguinal Regions

Important Terminology Relating to Position

  • Medial: Toward the middle of the body.

  • Lateral: Pertaining to the side, away from the middle of the body.

  • Proximal: Closer to the center of the body.

  • Distal: Further from the center of the body.

Motion Terms

  • Flexion and Extension:

    • Dorsiflexion: Pulling the toes towards the knee.

    • Plantar Flexion: Pointing toes downward.

  • Inversion and Eversion:

    • Inversion: Turning the foot inward.

    • Eversion: Turning the foot outward.

Additional Directional Terms

  • Superior: Top of the body.

  • Inferior: Lower part of the body.

  • Caudal: Toward the tail.

  • Cephalad: Toward the head.

  • Cranial: Pertaining to the skull.

  • Superficial: Toward the surface of the body.

  • Deep: Away from the surface of the body.

  • Parietal: Relating to the outer wall of a body cavity.

  • Visceral: Pertaining to the organs within a body cavity.

Abduction and Adduction

  • Abduction: Movement away from the midline of the body.

  • Adduction: Movement toward the midline of the body.

Terminology for Color

  • Chromo: Color; e.g., heterochromasia: different colored eyes.

  • Erythro: Red; e.g., erythrocyte: red blood cell.

  • Leuko: White; e.g., leukocyte: white blood cell.

  • Albino: Also means white; refers to albinism (absence of pigment).

  • Cyano: Blue; e.g. cyanosis, observed during low oxygen levels.

  • Melano: Black; e.g., melanoma, which derives from "black tumor."

  • Xanth: Yellow; e.g., xanthosis (abnormal condition of yellowness).

    • Cirrhosis: Abnormal condition of yellowing, usually due to liver disease.

    • Jaundice: Yellowing due to bile obstruction affecting the skin and sclera (white part of eyes).

Etiology of Diseases

  • Etiology: Study of the cause or origin of a disease. Causes can be:

    • Metabolic: e.g., diabetes.

    • Infectious: e.g., viral infections.

    • Congenital: conditions present at birth.

    • Hereditary: passed down through generations.

    • Environmental: due to external factors like trauma.

    • Neoplastic: related to cancers.

    • Idiopathic: unknown causes.

Medical Diagnoses

  • Diagnosis: Determining the nature and cause of a disease, made by a doctor.

  • Prognosis: Prediction of the course of the disease, indicative of expected outcomes.

  • Sequelae: Complications that follow or result from a disease or injury.

    • Example: Pneumonia as a sequela to influenza infection.

  • Signs: Objective findings observed by a healthcare provider (e.g., fever).

  • Symptoms: Subjective experiences reported by the patient (e.g., nausea).

Inflammatory Response

  • Inflammation: Body's response to injury or infection.

    • Symptoms include:

    • Redness

    • Swelling

    • Heat

    • Pain

    • Loss of function

Homeostasis

  • Homeostasis: The body's stable internal environment that it strives to maintain.

  • Imbalance in homeostasis can indicate disease.

  • Key normal values to remember:

    • Normal Body Temperature: 98.6°F (37°C), with range approximately 97.6°F to 99.6°F.

    • Normal Heart Rate: 60 to 100 beats per minute.

    • Normal Respiratory Rate: 12 to 20 breaths per minute.

    • Normal Blood Pressure: Should be less than 120/80 mmHg and above 90/60 mmHg.

Spine Anatomy

  • Composed of 26 irregular bones categorized as follows:

    • Cervical (C1-C7): Neck region; important for life functions.

    • Thoracic (T1-T12): Associated with the rib cage.

    • Lumbar: Lower back region.

    • Sacral: Comprised of 5 fused bones; forms the back of the pelvis.

    • Coccyx: The tailbone.