LESSON 3 DIRECTIONAL AND ANATOMICAL TERMS
Science, as a whole, uses directional terms to show the direction from a reference point. These terms are used so all will know exactly to what direction an area of the body is being referred. They are exact directions intended to be followed in the format they are written. For example, cephal means head and caudal means tail, two terms showing direction of reference. Cephal caudal means from head to tail with the reference point starting at the head and moving toward the tail of the body.
Directional terms are read differently than other medical terms. We go back to the way we use English with directional terms and read them from front to back. EXAMPLES:
anteroposterior=Front to back or referring to the front and the back
superoanterior=Above and to the front or referring to the above and front or towards the above and front.
inferoposterior= Below and to the back or referring to the below and back or towards below and to the back.
dorsoventral=Back side to belly side or back side and belly side or towards the back and belly sides.
mediolateral=Middle of the side or towards the middle of the side
The endings that mean pertaining to or referring to are used to show direction, usually towards a structure, as in the following:
Cephalic= Towards the head, because the cephalic artery is in the neck and moves blood into the head or it may be read, pertaining to the head.
Renal=Towards the kidney, because the renal artery comes off the aorta and moves blood to the kidney or may be read, pertaining to the kidney
Anterior= May be read as, towards the front or pertaining to the front.
Posterior=May be read as, towards the back or pertaining to the back
Lateral=May be read as, toward the side or pertaining to the side.
Medial =May be read as, towards the midline or pertaining to the midline.
Some commonly used directional terms are as follows:
TermDefinition
cephalhead
cephaladtowards the head
cephalicpertaining to the head, or towards the head
caudatail
caudadtowards the tail
caudalpertaining to the tail
lateralpertaining to the side of body or towards the side
lateradtowards the side
medialpertaining to middle of midline of body or towards the midline
mediadtowards the midline
ventralpertaining to belly side of body
ventradtowards the belly side
ventralisclose to the belly side
dorsalback side of body or towards the backside
dorsadtowards the back side
dorsalisclose to the back side
distalaway from the point of origin or away from the
beginning of a body structure
proximalclose to the point of origin or near the beginning of a
body structure
superiorsituated above or towards the top of the body
inferiorsituated below or towards the bottom of the body
anteriorsituated in front of or towards the front of the body
posteriorsituated behind of towards the back of the body
dexterright side of body, on right side
sinisterleft side of body, on left side
PREFIXES
ant-, ante-before, front
dextr-right
post-after
pre-before
pro-before
sinisterleft side
sup, superabove, top
SUFFIXES
-abaway from
-adtowards
-iorpertaining to
COMBINING FORMS
anter/ofront
caud/otail
cephal/ohead (note: not towards the head because the al is a part of the word root)
dextr/oright
dist/oaway from point of origin
dors/oback side
infer/obelow
later/oside
medi/omiddle
meso/middle
poster/oback, behind
proxim/onear point of origin
sinistr/oleft
super/oabove
ventr/obelly side
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
anteroposteriorpertaining to the front and the back or towards front and back
bilateralpertaining to the two sides
deepaway from the surface
dexterright or right side of body
dextradtowards the right side
dextralpertaining to the right side
superficialnear or on the surface
supinelying on the back with face pointed upwards
pronelying on belly with face pointed downwards
sinisterleft or left side of body
sinistralpertaining to the left side or towards the left
sinistradtowards left side of body
unilateralpertaining to one side
mediolateralpertaining to the middle and one side or towards middle side
posteroanteriorpertaining to the back and to the front or towards back &
front
NOTE: Any directional term may be used together to give direction to medical procedures.
ANATOMICAL PLANES
Planes are imaginary flat surfaces that give a point of reference to identifying the position of parts of the body and how a body should be positioned. These terms are not built from word parts so their meanings must be memorized. Anatomical planes include:
Frontal or coronal plane
A vertical plane that divides the body from side to side into a posterior and anterior position.
Sagittal plane
A vertical plane that divides the body into left and right sides. Midsagittal would divide a body into two equal left and right sides.
Transverse plane
A horizontal plane that runs parallel to the ground dividing the body into upper and lower positions. It is sometimes called a cross-sectional plane.
ANATOMICAL ABDOMINAL REGIONS
To help medical personnel describe diagnosis correctly, anatomical/abdominal regions have been set up. Again, these are not made up from word parts so learning these regions is done with memorization.
HypochondriacEpigastricHypochondriac
LumbarUmbilical Lumbar
Iliac Hypogastric Iliac
RegionDefinition
umbilicalcenter of abdomen around the naval or umbiluous
(um-bil-i-cal)
epigastricupper center, directly above the umbilical region
(epi-gas-trik)
hypogastriclower center, directly below the umbilical region
(hy-po-gas-trik)
hypochondriacleft and right of the epigastric region
(hi-po-kon-dre-ak)
lumbarleft and right sides of the umbilical region
(lum-bar)
iliacleft and right sides of the hypogastric region
(il-e-ak)
ANATOMICAL ABDOMINAL QUADRANTS
In addition to the regions, many medical personnel will use the four anatomical abdominal quadrants. These must be memorized. The center of the quadrants is the navel.
right upper quadrant left upper quadrant
(to the right and (to the left and
above the navel) above the navel)
______NAVEL______
right lower quadrantright lower quadrant
(to the right and (to the right and
below the navel) below the navel)
BODY CAVITIES
The body has many cavities within its structure. Each of these cavities holds vital internal organs of the human body.
Cranial cavitythe chamber inside the skull holding the main parts of the
brain
Spinal cavitythe chamber inside the spinal column holding the spinal cord
Thoracic cavitythe chamber where the heart, lungs, bronchi, trachea, and esophagus are located.
Abdominal cavitythe chamber where the stomach, intestines, gall bladder, liver, spleen, kidneys and ureters are located.
Pelvic cavitythe chamber where the urinary bladder, rectum, reproductive organs and the last part of the large intestines are located.
LESSON 3 GRAPHICS
WORD LIST FOR LESSON 3
abdominal cavity
anterior
anteroposterior
anterolateral
anteromedid
anterosuperior
bilateral
caudal
caudad
cephal
cephalad
cephalic
cephalocaudal
cephalocaudad
cephalodorsal
cephalodorsad
coronal plane
cranial cavity
dextrad
dextral
dextrolateral
dextrolateral sagittal
distaldorsal
dorsad
dorsalis
dorsocephal
dorsocephalad
dorsoventral
dorsoventrad
epigastric
frontal plane
hypogastric
hypochondriac
inferior
inferolateral
inferomedad
iliac
lateral
lateromedial
laterad
lumbar
medial
mediad
mediolateral
mediolateralsagittal
midsagittal
posterior
posteroanterior
posterosuperior
posteromedial
proximal
sagittal
sinister
sinistrad
sinistral
sinistromid
sinistromid-sagittal
superolateral
superomedial
superoanterial
superoposterior
transverse
unilateral
ventral
ventrad
ventrodorsal
ventrodorsad
ventrolateral
ventrocaudad
ventralis
PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR LESSON 3
DEFINE THE FOLLOWING PREFIXES:
ant-, ante-
post-
pre-
pro-
sup, super-, supra-
ad-
in-
WRITE THE COMBINING FORM FOR THE FOLLOWING:
sidemiddle
abovemiddle
headback, behind
tailnear point of origin
belly sideaway from point of origin
back sideright
frontleft
MATCHING
___caudalapertaining to the side
___ caudadbpertaining to the front and back
___cephalicctowards the top part
___anteriordtowards the back and front
___ anterior posteriorepertaining to the back side
___lateralfpertaining to the belly side
___bilateralgpertaining to one side
___unilateralhpertaining to the middle and side
___distalitowards the belly side
___proximaljtowards the head
___ventralkpertaining to below
___dorsalltowards the midline
___dorsadmtowards both sides
___ventralisnpertaining to the tail
___posterioranteriorotowards the tail
___superiorpaway from the point of origin
___inferiorqclose to the point of origin
___mediolateralrpertaining to the front
___ventradsclosest to the belly side
___mediadttowards the back side
DEFINE:
anterior
posterior
superior
cephalic
cephad
dorsalis
anteroposterior
inferior
ventrad
proximal
distal
mediad
caudal
laterad
unilateral
MATCHING
___frontal planeavertical plane passing from side to side
___sagittal planeinto anterior and posterior sections
___medisagittal planebvertical plane passing from front to back
___transverse plane through the middle of one side of body
___mediolaterosagittal planecvertical plane through midline of body
___dextrolaterosagittal planedividing body from front to back
___sinistrolateromediosagittal dvertical plane dividing body into unequal
portions
ehorizontal plane dividing body into two
portions, upper and bottom
fright side vertical plane from front to back
gleft side middle vertical plane from front to
back
WRITE THE MEDICAL TERM FOR THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS:
side______
tail______
below______
behind, back______
middle______
belly side______
back side______
right______
left______
head______
front______
above______
away from point of origin______
near point of origin______
PROVIDE THE DEFINITION FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING AND LIST THE ORGANS THAT ARE INSIDE EACH CAVITY.
Cranial cavity:
Spinal cavity:
Thoracic cavity:
Abdominal cavity:
Pelvic cavity:
FILL IN THE BLANK WITH THE CORRECT TERM FOR THE ABDOMINAL REGIONS IN ORDER TO MATCH UP THE CORRESPONDING NUMBERS:
1 2 3 1right______
4 5 62______
7 8 93left ______
4right ______
5______
6left ______
7right ______
8______
9left ______
WRITE IN THE SPACES TO THE RIGHT THE NAMES OF EACH OF THE QUADRANTS NUMBERED TO THE LEFT:
4 31______2 ______
1 23______
4______
MATCHING
----epigastricathe quadrant to the left and superior to navel
----iliacbthe region left and right of the hypogastric
---- lumbarcthe region directly above the umbilical region
----umbilicaldthe region to the left and right of the epigastric
----hypogastricethe quadrant right and inferior to the navel
----hypochondriacfthe region around the navel
----right uppergthe quadrant to the right and superior to navel
----left lowerhthe region directly below the umbilical region
----right lowerithe region left and right of the umbilical region
----left upperjthe quadrant to the left and inferior to navel
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Select one answer for each of the following.
Which of the following words means away from the origin or point of attachment?
aanterior
bposterior
cproximal
ddistal
Dorsocephalad means situated:
atoward one side of the head
btoward the front of the head
ctoward the back of the head
dtoward the middle of the head
How does a transverse plane divide the body?
ain front and back portions
binto upper and lower portions
cin equal right and left halves
din unequal right and left portions
A midsagittal plane divides the body into:
afront and back portions
bupper and lower portions
cequal right and left halves
dunequal right and left portions
Dorsodynia means:
aan earache
ba backache
ca toothache
da headache
Dactylitis can mean inflammation of all the following except:
afinger
btoe
ceye
ddigit
The suffix “-itis” means:
aany disease
ba condition
can inflammation
dpain
Which word means pertaining to the tail or a tail-like structure?
aproximal
bplantar
cpalmar
dcaudal
Nearest the point of origin is:
aproximal
bplantar
cpalmar
dcaudal
Divisions of the abdomen that are determined by drawing an imaginary vertical and a hortizontal line through the umbilicus are called:
ahypochondriacs
bepigastrics
cinguinals
dquadrants
What does “ventral” mean?
afront
bback
cbelly side
dside
Lateral means:
afront
bback
cbelly
dside
Mediolateral pertains to:
athe middle of the back
bthe middle and one side
cthe back and one side
dthe front and one side
Inferior means:
aabove
bbelow
cbeyond
dnear
Which of the following words means “near the origin?”
aproximal
bdistal
cmedial
dlateral
How does a frontal plane divide the body?
ainto upper and lower portions
binto anterior and posterior portions
cinto equal right and left halves
dinto unequal right and left portions
How does a sagittal plane divide the body?
ainto upper and lower portions
binto anterior and posterior portions
cinto equal right and left halves
dinto unequal right and left portions
Dorsoventral means:
apertaining to both sides
bpertaining to only one side
cpassing from the back to the belly surface
dsituated on the back and to one side
Unilateral means:
apertaining to both sides
bpertaining to only one side
cpassing from the back to the belly surface
dsituated on the back and to one side
The suffix -osis- may mean all but which of the following?
abody
babnormal increase
ccondition
ddisease
Posteromedial means:
ain front and below
bin front and above
cbehind and below
dbehind and in the middle
Anterosuperior means:
ain front and below
bin front and above
cbehind and below
dbehind and in the middle
The abdominal region that is positioned in the very center is called the:
aepigastrics
binguinals
cumbilical
dhypochondriacs
Posteroanterior means:
afront and both sides
bboth front and back
cfrom front to back
dfrom back to front
In humans, the anterior aspect is the same as which of the following?
aposterior
bdorsal
cventral
dlateral
Anteroposterior pertains to:
athe front and back
bthe front and outside
cthe back and inside
dthe inside and outside
What is the dorsal side of all organisms?
athe front side
bthe back side
cthe belly side
dthe top side
Dorsolateral pertains to:
athe middle of the front
bthe middle of the back
ctowards one side of the front
dtowards one side of the back
Bilateral pertains to:
aone side of the body
bboth sides of the body
ca position near the front
da position near the back
Medial means:
afront
bback
cmiddle
dside
Superficial means:
anearby
bon or near the surface
con or near the back
don or near the front
If an organ is inferior to the stomach, the organ is said to be:
abelow the stomach
babove the stomach
cwithin the stomach
dto one side of the stomach
Proximal means:
aabove the point of origin
bbelow the point of origin
cnear the point of origin
dfar from the point of origin
THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE MISSPELLED. WRITE THE CORRECT SPELLING.
medsagital
anteriurposterior
dexlateral
sinislateral
dorsalad
ventralas
postereoanterior
umbilial
hyperchrondriac
hypergastric
cephodynia
caudalad
MARK THE WORD ROOT IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
cephalodynia
dextrolumbar
MATCHING:
___the upper lateral regions beneath the ribsa epigastric
___the two lower lateral regionsb umbilical
___the region that lies on each side of the centermost divisionc lumbar
___the lower middle regiond iliac
___the upper middle regione hypogastric
___the upper middle region that contains the naval f hypochondria
ASSIGNMENT FOR LESSON 3
Medical Terminology, HS 280
Directional Terms, Anatomical
DEFINE THE FOLLOWING:
Body Directional Terms
1cephalic
2superior
3caudal
4inferior
5anterior
6ventral
7posterior
8dorsal
9medial
10lateral
11distal
12proximal
Anatomical Planes
13frontal
14coronal
15plane
16sagittal plane
17transverse plane
Anatomical Regions
18umbilical
19epigastric
Assignment for Lesson 3, Directional, pg. 2
20hypograstric
21hypochondriac
22lumbar
23iliac
Additional Terms (The use of a medical dictionary may be necessary to answer)
24extension
25flexion
26afferent
27efferent
28plantar
29palmar
30prone
31supine
32deep
33superficial
34adduction
35abduction
36eversion
37inversion
38bilateral
39unilateral
WRITING TERMS.
Combining formBasic meaning
40dors/o
41medi/o
42dist/o
43caud/o
44ventr/o
45cephal/o
46infer/o
47poster/o
48super/o
49proxim/o
50later/o
51anter/o