SECTION 2 WHOLE BODY TERMINOLOGY

The following word elements are used in relationship to the whole body. Remember that one of the keys to learning medical words is to be able to pronounce, spell, and define as many word elements as you can. In printed text the slash (/) indicates a combining form; the hyphen (-) before indicates a suffix; and the hyphen (-) after indicates a prefix. Here we go:

Word Elements (We will first look at some of the word elements that might be used.

Listen as each word element is being pronounced.)

abdomin/o (a_b do_m i_ no_) means abdomin/o

anter/o (a_n te_r o_) means before or in front of anter/o

cardi/o (ka_r de_ o_) means heart cardio

caud/o (kaw do_) means tail caudo

chondr/o (ko_n dro_) means cartilage chondro crani/o (kra_ ne_ o_) means head or skull cranio

crin (kri_n) means to secrete crin

cyt/o (si_ to_) means cell cyto

dist/o (di_s to_) means far disto

dors/o (do_r so_) means back dorso

-e_ means instrument and/or noun suffix e

end/o (e_n do_) means inside or within endo

enter/o (e_n te_r o_) means intestine entero epi- (e_p _)i means upon or over epi

gastr/o (ga_s tro_) means gastro

hyp/o (hi_ po_) means under, below, beneath hypo

-ic (i_k) is one of the adjective suffixes meaning pertaining to ic

ili/o (i_l e_ o_) means ilium, hipbone. This is not to be confused with the ileo (pronounced the same way but spelled _lei _o_) which is the word element for the ileum, spelled _lei _u_m, the last and longest part of the small intestine. ilio

infer/o (i_n fe_r o_) means beneath or below infero

inguin/o (i_ng gwi_ no_) means inguino integument (i_n te_g” u_ me_nt) means skin integument

later/o (la_t e_r o_) means side latero

lumb/o (lu_m bo_) means lower back lumbo

medi/o (me_ de_ o_) means middle medio

musculo (mu_s ku_ lo_) means muscle musculo

nas/o (na_ zo_) means nose naso nervo (ne_r vo_) means nerve nervo

orbit/o (o_r bi_ to_) means circle, orbit, bony cavity or socket orbito

or/o (o_r o_) means mouth oro path/o (pa_th o_) means disease, feeling, suffering patho

pelv/o (pe_l vo_) means pelvo

-plasm (pla_ zm) means formation plasm

poster/o (po_s’ te_r o_) means back, after, behind postero

proxim/o (pro_k si_ mo_) means nearest point or origin proximo

retr/o (re_t ro_) means behind or backward retro

skelet/o (ske_l e_ to_) means skeleton skeleto

super/o (su_ pe_r o_) means above or higher than supero thorac/o (tho_ ra_ ko_, tho_r a_k o_, tho_ ra_k o_) means chest thoraco

trans- (tra_ns) means through or across trans

umbilic/o (u_m bi_l’ _i ko_) means navel umbilico

urin/o (u_ ri_ no_) means urine or urinary organs urino

vascul/o (va_s ku_ lo_) means vessel vasculo

ventr/o (ve_n tro_) means front ventro

viscer/o (vi_s e_r o_) means internal organ (viscera) viscero

Body Directions (The following terms are used to identify specific regions of the body.) anterior (a_n te_r’ e_ or) means toward the front anter/o means before anterior is the opposite of posterior (po_s te_’ re_ or) which means toward the back

poster/o means back posterior

lateral (la_t’ e_r a_l) means on the side

later/o means side lateral is the opposite of medial (me_’ de_ a_l) which means nearest the middle

medi/o means middle or median medial

inferior (i_n fe_’ re_ or) means lower or away from the head end

infer/o means beneath or below inferior is the opposite of superior (soo pe_’ re_ or) which means upper or head end

super/o means above or higher than superior

distal (di_s’ ta_l) means the part farthest from the source dist/o means far distal is the opposite of proximal (pro_k’ si_m a_l) which means the part closest to the source

proxim/o means nearest the source proximal

apex (a_’ pe_ks) means tip or summit apex is the opposite of base (ba_s) which means bottom or lowest part base

prone (pro_n) means lying face down prone which is opposite to supine (su_ pi_n’) which means lying face up (notice supine has the word up in it) supine

Body Planes (This is another way of identifying specific structures or areas of the body.

The word for body planes is spelled plane.)

median (me_ dio_ means middle) or mid-sagittal (saj_j’ _i ta_l) plane goes through the center of the head, chest, and pelvis, dividing the body into two equal left and right portions median or mid-sagittal plane sagittal (saj_j’ _i ta_l) plane runs parallel to the median plane and can be in any location; it divides the body into two unequal parts (right and left) sagittal plane

transverse (tra_ns means through or across) or horizontal plane divides the body horizontally into lower and upper portions transverse or horizontal plane

vertical, coronal, or frontal plane divides the body to create posterior (back) and anterior

(front) portions vertical, coronal, or frontal plane

Body Cavities (The body is made up of areas referred to as cavities. The dorsal and ventral cavities are the two largest internal spaces and they are divided as follows:)

dorsal cavity (dors/o means back) is one of two major body cavities; it contains the

cranial cavity (crani/o means skull)

the brain is found in this cavity

spinal cavity (spinal means referring to the spine)

the spinal cord is found in this cavity

ventral cavity (ventr/o means front) is the second of the two major body cavities; it contains the abdominal cavity (abdomin/o means abdomen)

organs found in this cavity are the stomach, intestines, , , nasal cavity (na_ zo_ means nose)

the nose is found in this cavity oral cavity (or/o means mouth)

this is the cavity for the mouth orbital cavity (orbit means little circle)

this is the cavity containing the eyes pelvic cavity (pelv means pelvis)

the reproductive organs and the urinary bladder are found in this cavity thoracic cavity (thorac/o means chest)

the heart and lungs are found in this cavity Abdominal Cavity Divisions

Left and right divisions

(hi_” po_ ko_n’ dre_ u_m)

hypo- means under

chondr/o means cartilage

-ium means related to

hypochondrium

lumbar (lu_m’ ba_r)

lumb/o means lower back

lumbar

inguinal or iliac (i_ng’ gwi_ na_l) or _l’i e_ a_k)

inguinal means pertaining to the groin

iliac means pertaining to the ilium

inguinal, iliac

Middle divisions

(e_p _i ga_s tre_’ u_m)

epi- means over or upon

gastrium means pertaining to the stomach

epigastrium

umbilical (u_m bi_l’ _i ka_l) umbilic/o means navel

umbilical

hypogastric (hi_” po_ ga_s’ tri_k)

hyp/o means under, below

gastric means pertaining to the stomach

hypogastric

Body Structures cells are the basic and smallest unit of the body

protoplasm (pro_’ to_ pla_zm) is the substance that the cell is made of

-plasm means growth or development

protoplasm

cytoplasm (si_’ to_ pla_zm) carries out the work of a cell

cyt/o means cell

-plasm means growth or development

cytoplasm

nucleus (nu_’ kle_ u_s) is the controlling structure of a cell

nucleus

tissues (ti_sh’ u_z) are specialized cells grouped to perform special functions epithelial (e_p _i the_’ le_ a_l) tissue covers surfaces, forms glands, and lines cavities

epithelial tissue

connective tissue holds parts of the body in place

connective tissue

muscular (mu_s ku_’ la_r) tissue allows movement

muscular tissue

nervous tissue conducts nerve impulses

nervous tissue

organ (or’ ga_n) is the combining of two or more tissues to perform certain functions

viscera (vi_s’ e_r a_) is a term used to refer to internal organs

viscera

a system (si_s’ te_m) is made up of organs combined to perform a function or related group of functions

blood and lymphatic (li_m fa_t’ _k)i system

lymph is an alkaline fluid

blood and lymphatic system

cardiovascular (ka_r” de_ o_ va_s’ ku_ la_r) system cardi/o means heart

vascular means pertaining to blood vessels cardiovascular system

endocrine (e_n’ do_ kri_n, e_n’ do_ kri_n, e_n’ do_ kre_n) system

end/o means inside

-crin means to secrete

-e is a noun suffix endocrine system

gastrointestinal (ga_s” tro_ _ni te_s’ ti_ na_l) system

gastr/o means stomach

intestinal means pertaining to the intestines gastrointestinal system

integumentary (i_n te_g u_ me_n’ ta_ re_) system

integument means skin integumentary system

musculoskeletal (mu_s” ku_ lo_ ske_l’ e_ ta_l) system

muscul/o means muscle

skeletal means pertaining to skeleton musculoskeletal system nervous (ne_r vous) system

nerv/o means nerve

ous means pertaining to

nervous system

reproductive (male and female) system

reproductive system

respiratory (re_s pi_r’ a_ to_ re_) system

respirat refers to breathing

respiratory system

sensory (eyes, ears, nose) system

sensory system

urinary (u_ ri_ na_r’ e_) system

urin/o means urine

urinary system

This ends the section on Whole Body Terminology. If you have any questions, please ask your instructor for further clarification or refer to your textbook. You should repeat this section as many times as you feel is necessary to feel comfortable with the meaning and pronunciation of the words presented.