Medical Terminology

Chapter 1
Spelling Medical Terms
Correct spelling of medical terms is very important. A spelling error that changes just
one or two letters can change the entire meaning of a term. Some medical terms are
spelled similarly but have very different meanings, for example, arteriosclerosis and
atherosclerosis. The first term, means hardening of the arteries. The second term
means accumulation of fatty plaques within blood vessels.
As a professional in the medical community, you will enter information into patients
electronic health records on a daily basis. Correctly spelled medical terms are critical to
patient care. Furthermore, chart notes, history and physical examination reports,
operative reports, and other types of health records are considered legal documents.
therefore, accuracy is essential.
Overview of Anatomical Positions, Planes, Directions, and Locations
Healthcare professionals use specific terms to describe anatomical positions, directions,
and locations. These terms are important for a variety of reasons. Before a patient
undergoes surgery, for example, the doctor must accurately record the precise location
of the part of the body on which the surgical procedure is to be performed.
Anatomical Position
When describing body positions or using
directional terms, healthcare professionals
visualize the patient in anatomical position. In
anatomical position, a person is standing upright
with the legs together, feet pointing forward, arms
at the sides, palms facing forward, and head
facing forward. When you view the patient from
the anatomical position, everything that you see
makes up the anterior (ventral) or front surface
of the body. When the patient turns around, what
you see is the posterior (dorsal) or back surface
of the body.
Anatomical Planes
In biology and medicine, the human body is divided into imaginary planes or sections
that are used as reference points when describing body parts and organs. The human
body can be divided into sections along three different planes; the frontal plane (also
called the coronal plane), the sagittal plane, and the transverse plane.

The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right sections. A midsagittal plane or
median plane divides the body into equal right and left
halves.
The frontal plane or coronal plane divides the
into front (anterior/ventral) and back
(posterior/dorsal) sections.

body

The transverse plane divides the

body into upper (superior) and
lower (inferior) sections.
Terms of Position and Direction
In medical terminology, specific terms are used to
describe the relative position of the body or of one body
in relation to another. Terms of position and direction are
always based on anatomical position.

part

Just as road signs indicate the direction of a route, (north,

south, east, or west), directional terms in anatomy and
physiology and in medical terminology often occur in
pairs and generally have opposite meanings.

Term of Position or
Direction

Definition

anterior

front of the body; ventral

anterposterior

passing from the anterior (front) of the body to the posterior (rear)

caudal

toward the tailbone

cephalic

toward the head

distal

away from the point of origin

dorsal

back of the body; posterior

external

outer part of the body

inferior

body part located below another part or closer to the feet

internal

deep within the body

lateral

toward the side of the body

medial

toward the midline of the body

posterior

toward the back of the body

Term of Position or
Direction

Definition

posteroanterior

passing from the posterior (rear) of the body to the anterior (front)

prone

lying face down with the palms facing downward

proximal

closer to the point of origin

superior

body part located above another part or closer to the head

supine

lying on the back with the palms facing upward

ventral

front of the body; anterior

Terms of Position and Direction

Match each term of position of direction with its definition.
Term of Position of Direction

Definition

_____ 1.

external

A.

_____ 2.

prone

B.

passing from the posterior (rear) of the body to

the anterior (front)
outer part of the body

_____ 3.

lateral

C.

toward the head

_____ 4.

superior

D.

front of the body; ventral

_____ 5.

anterior

E.

closer to the point of origin

_____ 6.

posteroanterior

F.

_____ 7.

caudal

G.

body part located below another part or closer

to the feet
deep within the body

_____ 8.

ventral

H.

away from the point of origin

_____ 9.

medial

I.

_____ 10.

distal

J.

lying face down with the palms facing

downward
back of the body; posterior

_____ 11.

supine

K.

_____ 12.

cephalic

L.

body part located above another part or closer

to the head
front of the body; anterior

_____ 13.

proximal

M.

toward the tailbone

_____ 14.

dorsal

N.

toward the midline of the body

_____ 15.

anteroposterior

O.

back of the body; dorsal

_____ 16.

internal

P.

lying on the back with the palms facing upward

_____ 17.

posterior

Q.

toward the side of the body

_____ 18.

inferior

R.

passing from the anterior (front) of the body to

the posterior (rear)

Body Cavities
Body cavities protect and support internal organs. The human body contains two major
cavities: the dorsal cavity, located posteriorly, the ventral cavity, located anteriorly.
The dorsal cavity is subdivided into the cranial cavity, which contains the brain, and the
spinal cavity, which contains the spinal cord. The spinal cavity is also called the
vertebral cavity.
The ventral cavity is subdivided into the thoracic (chest) cavity and the
abdominopelvic cavity. Because the abdominopelvic cavity is large, it is often
subdivided into the abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity.

Abdominopelvic Cavity: Regions

The abdominopelvic cavity is divided into nine regions that resemble the sections of a
Tic-Tac-Toe grid. The nine regions include the right and left hypochondriac regions,
the epigastric region, the right and left lumbar regions, the umbilical region, the
right and left iliac regions, and the hypogastric region.

Body Systems
There are eleven major organ systems in the body, each with its own specific function.
Some of these systems function complimentarily to maintain homeostasis (a state of
internal balance).
The eleven major organ systems are:
Integumentary System (skin)
Skeletal System (bones, cartilage, joints)
Muscular System (muscles)
Nervous System (brain, nerves, spinal cord)
Endocrine System (glands, pancreas)
Respiratory System (lungs, trachea)
Cardiovascular System (heart, blood vessels)
Lymphatic System (spleen, lymph nodes)
Digestive System (stomach, intestines)
Urinary System (kidneys, urethra, urinary bladder)
Reproductive System (uterus, vagina, penis, testis)