1. Medical Terminology Lesson 2: Anatomy and Physiology

2. Anatomical Position
Used when describing positions and relationships of structures in the human body
Describes the position of the body standing erect with arms at the side of the body, palms facing forward, eyes looking straight ahead
Legs are parallel with feet and toes are pointing forward
Assumption that person is always in anatomical position even if body or parts of the body are in other positions 2

3. Critical Thinking Question
Why is anatomical position important in medicine? 3

4. Body Planes Coronal or frontal Horizontal or transverse Sagittal
Used to assist in describing the body and its parts
Imagine slicing through the body at various angles 4

5. Planes of the body: coronal or frontal, transverse, and midsagittal.5

6. Sagittal Plane Vertical plane Runs lengthwise from front to back
Divides the body and its parts into left and right portions
Right and left sides do not have to be equal 6

7. Frontal Plane Also known as coronal
Divides the body into front and back positions
Vertical lengthwise plane running from side to side 7

8. Critical Thinking Question
What is an example of when you might discuss something in terms of a plane? 8

9. Transverse Plane Horizontal plane
Crosswise plane that runs parallel to the ground
Imaginary cut that divides the body and its parts into upper and lower portions 9

10. Directional Terms
Assist medical personnel in position or location of patient’s complaint
Help to describe one process, organ, or system as it relates to another
They are listed in pairs that have opposite meanings in the following table 10

11. Directional Anatomical Terms11

12. Terms for Describing Body Position
Superior or cephalic =More toward the head, or above another structure
Inferior or caudal = More toward the feet or tail, or below another structure
Anterior or ventral More toward the front or belly-side of the body 12

13. Terms for Describing Body Position
Posterior or dorsal = More toward the back or spinal cord side of the body
Medial = Refers to the middle or near the middle of the body or the structure
Lateral = Refers to the side
Apex = Tip or summit of an organ
Base = Bottom or lower part of an organ
Proximal = Located nearer to the point of attachment to the body 13

14. Terms for Describing Body Position
Distal = Located farther away from the point of attachment to the body
Superficial = More toward the surface of the body
Deep = Further away from the surface of the body
Supine = The body lying horizontally and facing upward
Prone = The body lying horizontally and facing downward

15. Supine Position 15

16. Prone Position 16

17. Body Cavities The body has many open spaces or cavities17

18. Body Cavities 18

19. Body Cavities and Their Major Organs
Cavity
Dorsal Cavities
Cranial Cavity
Spinal Cavity
Major Organs
Brain
Spinal Cord
Ventral Cavities
Thoracic Cavity
Pleural Cavity: Lungs
Pericardial Cavity: Heart
Mediastinum: Heart, esophagus, trachea, thymus gland, aorta
Abdominopelvic Cavity
Abdominal Cavity
Pelvic Cavity
Stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and portions of the small intestines and colon
Female: Uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina Male: Prostate gland, seminal vesicles, portion of the vas deferens 19

20. The Abdominopelvic Region20

21. The Abdominopelvic Region
Right upper quadrant (RUQ): Contains majority of the liver, gallbladder, small portion of pancreas, small intestines, and colon
Right lower quadrant (RLQ): Contains small intestines and colon, right ovary and fallopian tube, appendix, and right ureter
Left upper quadrant (LUQ): Contains small portion of liver, spleen, stomach, majority of pancreas, small intestines, and colon
Left lower quadrant (LLQ): Contains small intestines and colon, left ovary and fallopian tube, and left ureter 21

22. Word Building Relating to Body Structure
Combining
Form Suffix Med. Term Definition
abdomin/o -al abdominal pertaining to the abdomen
caud/o -al caudal pertaining to the tail
cervic/o -al cervical pertaining to the neck
dist/o -a distal pertaining to away
epitheli/o -al epithelial pertaining to the epithelium
infer/o -ior inferior pertaining to below
proxim/o -al proximal pertaining to near
spin/o -al spinal pertaining to the spine
system/o -ic systemic pertaining to systems 22

23. Abbreviations Relating to Body Structure23

24. Organization of the Body
Cells come together to form tissues
Tissues come together to form organs
Organs come together to form systems
Systems come together to form organisms
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organ Systems 24

25. Organs Composed of several types of tissue Work together as a unit
Perform special functions
Example:
The stomach contains:
Muscle fibers
Nerve tissues
Epithelial tissue 25

26. Try It For Yourself! Don’t Use Your Book!
What do the following words mean?
abdomin/o
anter/o
caud/o
cephal/o
cervic/o
crani/o
dist/o
pertaining to the abdomen
pertaining to the skull
pertaining to the neck
pertaining to the head
pertaining to the tail
pertaining to the front
pertaining to away 26

27. Try It For Yourself! Don’t Use Your Book!
What do the following words mean?
dors/o
epitheli/o
infer/o
later/o
medi/o
muscul/o
neur/o
pertaining to the spinal cord side
pertaining to muscles
pertaining to the middle
pertaining to the side
pertaining to below
pertaining to the epithelium
pertaining to nerves 27

28. Try It For Yourself! Don’t Use Your Book!
What do the following words mean?
pelv/o
poster/o
proxim/o
somat/o
spin/o
thorac/o
viscer/o
pertaining to the pelvis
pertaining to the chest
pertaining to the spine
pertaining to the body
pertaining to near
pertaining to the back
pertaining to internal organs 28

29. Try It For Yourself! Don’t Use Your Book!
What do the following words mean? AP GI GU
lat
LLQ MS
RLQ
anteroposterior
gastrointestinal
genitourinary
lateral
left lower quadrant
musculoskeletal
right lower quadrant 29