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 abdomen 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 stomach 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 groin 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 pelvis 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, liver, pancreas, spleen 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
hypochondrium (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
epigastrium (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.