Medical Terms Chapter 2
Terms
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- ventral
- Refers to the front or belly side of the body or organ
- anterior
- Means situated in the front. It also means on the forward part of an organ.
- superior
- This means uppermost, above, or toward the head.
- cephalic
- Toward the head.
- proximal
- Situated nearest the midline or beginning of a body structure.
- medial
- The direction toward or nearer the midline.
- dorsal
- Refers to the back of the body or organ.
- posterior
- Situated in the back. It also means on the back pasrt of an organ.
- inferior
- Lowermost, below or toward the feet.
- caudal
- Toward the lower part of the body.
- distal
- Situated farthest from the midline or beginning of a body structure.
- lateral
- The direction toward or nearer the side and away from the midline.
- body planes
- Body planes are imaginary vertical and horizontal lines that are used to divide the body in the anatomic position into sections for descriptive purposes.
- vertical planes
- A vertical plane is any up-and-down line that is at a right angle, i.e. perpendicular, to the horizon.
- sagittal plane
- Any vertical plane that divides the whole body in unequal left and right portions.
- midsagittal plane
- Also know as midline, a sagittal plane that divides the body, from top to bottom, into equal left and right halves.
- coronal plane
- Divides the body into anterior and posterior portions. Also known as the frontal plane, this is any vertical plane located at right angles to the sagittal plane.
- horizontal plane
- A flat crosswise line like the horizon.
- transverse plane
- This is the horizontal plane that divides the whole body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions. The transverse plane can be at the waist level or at any other level across the body.
- dorsal cavity
- The dorsal cavity is located in the skull and within the spinal column and is divided into two parts.
- cranial cavity
- Located withing the skull, protects the brain.
- spinal cavity
- Located with the spinal column, protects the spinal cord.
- homeostasis
- Means maintaining a constant internal environment.
- thoracic cavity
- Also known as the chest cavity or thorax, protects the heart and the lungs.
- abdominal cavity
- Contains primarily the major organs of digestion, is frequently referred to simpy as the abdomen.
- pelvic cavity
- The space formed by the pelvic (hip) bones. It contains primarily the organs of the reproductive and excretory systems.
- anaplasia
- A change in the structure of cells and in their orientation to each other.
- aplasia
- The defective development or the congenital absence of an organ or tissue.
- dysplasia
- Abnormal tissue development.
- hypertrophy
- General increase in the bulk of a part or organ, not due to tumor formation, enlargement is due to increase in size. Not the numeber of cells in tissue.
- hypoplasia
- The incomplete development of an organ or tissue.
- histology
- The study of the structure, composition, and function of tissues.
- epithelial tissues
- Epithelial tissues form a protective covering for all of the internal and external organs
- epithelium
- epithelium is the specialized epithelial tissue that forms the epidermis of the skin and the surface layer of mucous membrane
- endothelium
- endothelium is the specialized epithelial tissue that lines the blood and lymph vessels, body cavities, glands, and organs.
- connective tissues
- These are tissue that support and connect organs and other body parts.
- dense connective tissues
- Bone and cartilage are the second hardest material in the body.
- adipose tissue
- This connective tissue also known as fat, provides protection, padding, insulation, and support. It also acts as a nutrient reserve.
- loose connective tissue
- Loose connective tissue surrounds various organs and supports both nerve cells and blood vessels.
- liquid connective tissues
- Blood and lymph are liquid connective tissues.
- muscle tissue
- This tissue contains cells with the specialized ability to contract and relax
- infectious disease
- An illness caused by living pathogenic organisms or bacteria.
- idiopathic disorder
- An illness without known cause.
- organic disorder
- Are pathologic physical changes that explain the symptoms being experienced by the patient.
- functional disorder
- There are no detectable physical changes to explain the symptoms that are being experienced by the patient.
- iatrogenic illness
- A problem such as a side effect or an unfavorable response.
- nosocomial infection
- An infection acquired in a hospital or clininc
- endemic
- Refers to the ongoing pressence of a disease within a population, group, or area.
- epidemic
- A sudden and widespread outbreak of a disease within a population group or area.
- pandemic
- Refers to an outbreak of a disease occuring over a large geographic area, possibly worldwide.
- mitochodria
- Provide energy for the cell.
- organelles
- Small structures that help carryout day-day operations of the cell.
- ribosome
- Participate in protein creation.
- lysosomes
- Contain enzymes that aid in digestion.