abdominal quadrants
four divisions of the abdomen used to pinpoint the location of a pain or injury
anatomic position
the standard reference position for the body in the study of anatomy. in this position, the body is standing erect, facing the observer, with arms down at the sides and the palms of the hands forward.
anatomy
the study of body structure.
anterior
the front of the body or body part.
bilateral
on both sides.
combining form
a word root with an added vowel that can be joined with other words, roots, or suffixes to form a new word; for example, the combining form therm/o added to meter makes the new word thermometer.
compound
a word formed from two or more while words; for example, the compound smallpox formed from small and pox.
distal
farther away from the torso. see also proximal.
dorsal
referring to the back of the body or the back of the hand or foot. a synonym for posterior.
Fowler position
a sitting position.
inferior
away from the head, usually compared with another structure that is closer to the head (e.g., the lips are inferior to the nose).
lateral
to the side, away from the midline of the body.
medial
toward the midline of the body.
mid-axillary line
a line drawn vertically from the middle of the armpit to the ankle.
mid-clavicular line
the line through the center of each clavicle.
midline
an imaginary line drawn down the center of the body dividing it into right and left halves.
palmar
referring to the palm of the hand.
physiology
the study of the body function.
plane
a flat surface formed when slicing through a solid object.
plantar
referring to the sole of the foot.
posterior
the back of the body or body part.
prefix
word part added to the beginning of a root or word to modify or qualify its meaning; for example, the prefix bi-added to the word lateral forms the word bilateral.
prone
lying face down.
proximal
closer to the torso. see also distal.
recovery position
lying on the side. also called lateral recumbent position.
root
foundation of a word that is not a word that can stand on its own, for example, the root cardi, meaning “heart”, in words such as cardiac and cardiology.
suffix
word part added to the end of a root or word to complete its meaning; for example, the suffix -otis added to the root laryng forms the word laryngitis.
superior
toward the head (e.g., the chest is superior to the abdomen).
supine
lying on the back.
torso
the trunk of the body or the body without the head and the extremities.
unilateral
limited to one side.
ventral
referring to the front of the body. a synonym for anterior.
bronchi/pulmo
lungs
cardi
heart
gastro
stomach
hepat
liver
neur
nerve
nas
nose/nasal
or
mouth/oral
pneumo
air or lungs
ab-
away from
ad-
toward or near
ante-
before
brady-
slow/below normal
contra-
against
dys
difficult or painful
hyper-
above normal, high
hypo-
below normal, low
inter-
between
peri-
around
poly-
many
post-
after
pre-
before
super/supra-
above or in excess
tachy-
above normal, rapid
uni-
one
-ac
pertaining to
-algia
pain
-emesis
vomiting
-itis
inflammation
-ology
study of
-plegia
paralysis
-pnea
breathing
-rrhea
discharge
-spasm
contraction
-al
pertaining to
-ist
one who specializes in
acetabulum
the pelvic socket into which the ball at the proximal end of the femur fits to form the hip joint.
acromioclavicular joint
the joint where the acromion and the clavicle meet.
acromion process
the highest portion of the shoulder.
alveoli
the microscopic sacs of the lungs where has exchange with the bloodstream takes place.
anatomy
the study of body structure.
aorta
the largest artery in the body. it transports blood form the left ventricle to begin systemic circulation.
appendix
a small tube located near the junction of the small and large intestines in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, the funcion of which is not well understood. its inflammation, called appendicitis, is a common cause of abdominal pain.
arteriole
the smallest kind of artery.
artery
any blood vessel carrying blood away from the heart.
atria
the two upper chambers of the heart. there is a right atrium (which receives unoxygenated blood returning from the body) and a left atrium (which receives oxygenated blood returning from the lungs).
automaticity
the ability of the heart to generate and conduct electrical impulses on its own.
autonomic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary motor functions.
bladder
the round sac-like organ of the renal system used as a reservoir for urine.
blood pressure
the pressure caused by blood exerting force against the walls of the blood vessels. usually arterial blood pressure (the pressure in an artery) is measured.
brachial artery
artery of the upper arms; the site of the lules checked during infant CPR.
bronchi
the two large sets of branches that come off the trachea and enter the lungs. there are right and left branchi.
calcaneus
the heel bone.
capillary
a thin-walled, microscopic blood vessel where the oxygen/carbon dioxide and nutrient/waste exchange with the body’s cells takes place.
cardiac conduction system
a system of specialized muscle tissues that conducts electrical impulses that stimulate the heart to beat.
cardiac muscle
specialized involuntary muscle found only in the heart.
cardiovascular system
the system made up of the heart and the blood vessels. sometimes called the circulatory system.
carotid arteries
the large neck arrteries, one on each side of the neck, that carry blood from the heart to the head.
carpals
the wrist bones.
central nervous system (CNS)
the brain and spinal cord.