HUMAN ANATOMY AND

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
 NUMBERS
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
Mono-, uni- One Unilateral

Bi- Two Bilateral

Tri- Three Triplicate

Quadr- Four Quadriceps

hex-, sex- Six hexose

Diplo Double diplococcus

 DIRECTIONS AND POSITIONS
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
Ab- Away from Abduction
 
Ad- Toward Adduction
 
Ecto-, exo- Outside Ectoparasite
 
Endo- Inside Endoderm
 
Epi- Upon Epinephrine
 
Infra- Below, under Infrared
 
Ipsi- Same Ipsilateral
 
Meso- Middle Mesomorph

Meta- After, beyond, transform metastasize

Peri- Surrounding Periodontal

Retro- Behind, back Retrograde amnesia

Sub- Below Submandibular

Trans- Across, through Transcutaneous

 POSITIONAL AND DIRECTIONAL
MEDICAL TERMS
WORD MEANING EXAMPLE
Anterior or ventral At or near the front surface of the “Anterior nerves”
body
Posterior or dorsal At or near the real surface of the “Dorsal surface of the hand”
body
Superior Above “Superior (cranial) aspect”

Inferior Below “Inferior aspect”

Lateral Side “Lateral aspect”

Distal Farthest from center “Axons distal to the injury”

Proximal Nearest to center “Proximal end of the forearm”

Medial Middle “Medial axis”

Supine Face up or palm up “Laying supine”

 POSITIONAL AND DIRECTIONAL
MEDICAL TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING EXAMPLE
Prone Face or palm down “Laying prone”

Sagittal Vertical body plane, divides the “Sagittal suture”

body into left and right

Transverse Horizontal body plane that divides “transverse myelitis”

the body into top and bottom

Coronal Vertical body plane that divides the “Coronal suture”

body into front and back
 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS
WORD BODY PART
Abdominal abdomen

Acromial Point of shoulder

Antebrachial Forearm

Antecubital Front of elbow

Axillary Armpit

Brachial Arm

Buccal Cheek

Calcaneal Heel of foot

 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING
Carpal Wrist

Caudal Tail

Cephalic Head

Cervical Neck

Clavicular Collar bone

Costal Rib

Coxal Hip

Cranial Skull
 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING
Crural Leg

Cubital Elbow

Deltoid Curve of shoulder

Digital Fingers and toes

Dorsal Upper back

Femoral Thigh

Fibular Outer side of the lower leg between the knee and
ankle
Frontal Forehead
 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING
Genital Pertaining to the reproductive organs

Gluteal Buttock

Hallux Great toe

Inguinal Groin

Lumbar Loin (lowest part of the spine below the false ribs and
between the hips)
Mammary Breast

Manual Hand

Mental Chin

Nasal Nose
 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING
Nuchal Back of neck

Occipital Back of head

Olecranal Point of Elbow

Oral Mouth

Orbital Eye

Otic Ear

Palmar Palm

Patellar Kneecap
 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING
Pectoral Chest

Pedal Foot

Pelvic Pelvis

Perineal Between the groin and the anus

Peroneal Outer side of the calf

Plantar Sole of foot

Pollex Thumb

Popliteal Back of knee

 BASIC ANATOMY TERMS, CONT.
WORD MEANING
Pubic Groin

Sacral Between the hips

Scapular Shoulder bone

Sternal Breastbone

Sural Calf

Tarsal Ankle

Thoracic Chest

Umbilical Navel

Ventral Belly

Vertebral Spinal Column

 CONDITIONS
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
Ambi- Both Ambidextrous

Aniso- Unequal Anisocytosis

Dys- Bad, painful, difficult Dyslexia

Eu- Good, normal Eukaryote

Hetero- Different Heterogeneous

Homo- Same Homogeneous

Hyper- Excessive, above Hypertension

Hypo- Lack, below Hypoglycemic

Iso- Equal, same Isotope

Mal- Bad, poor Malnutrition

Megalo- Large Megalomania

 CONDITIONS, CONT.
SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
-algia Pain Myalgia

-asthenia Weakness (may also be a Neurocirculatory asthenia

standalone term)
-emia Blood Hypoglycemia

-iasis Condition of Elephantiasis

-itis Inflammation Bronchitis

-lysis Destruction, break down Dialysis

-lytic Destroy, break down Hydrolytic

-oid Like Haploid

-oma Tumor Fibroma

 CONDITIONS, CONT.
SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
-opathy Disease of Neuropathy

-orrhagia Hemorrhage Metrorrhagia

-orrhea Flow or discharge Diarrhea

-osis Abnormal condition of Tuberculosis

-paresis Slight paralysis Hemiparesis

-plasia Growth Achondroplasia

-plegia Paralysis Quadraplegia

-pnea Breathing Sleep apnea

 SURGICAL PROCEDURES
SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
-centesis Puncture a cavity to remove fluid Amniocentesis

-ectomy Surgical removal or excision Hysterectomy

-ostomy A new permanent opening Tracheostomy

-otomy Cutting into, incision Gastrotomy

-orrhaphy Surgical repair or suture Gastrorrhaphy

-opexy Surgical fixation Nephropexy

-oplasty Surgical repair Rhinoplasty

-otripsy Crushing or destroying Lithotripsy