Frequently Used Anatomical Terms

Front 1

ADIPOSE

Back 1

(L. adeps, fat) — Of a fatty nature; fat.

Front 2

ALVEOLUS

Back 2

(L. dim. of alveus, hollow) — A general term used to designate a small saclike dilation.54 Also, the sockets for the roots of the teeth.

Front 3

ANASTOMOSIS

Back 3

( Gr. anastomosis, to furnish with a mouth) — A connection between blood vessels or between parts of a tube.

Front 4

ANGLE

Back 4

(L. angulus) — the area or point of junction of two intersecting borders (margins) or surfaces.

Front 5

APERTURE

Back 5

(L. apertura, an opening) — An opening or orifice.

Front 6

APEX, plural APICES

Back 6

(L. summit or tip) — The top of a structure or the pointed extremity of a conical part.

Front 7

APONEUROSIS

Back 7

(Gr. the end of a muscle where it becomes sinew; from apo, from + neuron, sinew) — A flat, expanded tendon for the attachment of a flat muscle.

Front 8

ARTICULATION

Back 8

(L. articulatio, the forming of new joint of a vine) — The site of a union or junction between two or more bones in the skeleton.

Front 9

ATROPHY

Back 9

(Gr. atrophia, from a, privative (without) + trophe, nourishment) — A wasting away or diminution in the size of a cell, tissue, organ, or part.

Front 10

AXILLA

Back 10

(L. axilla) — The region of the armpit.

Front 11

BELLY

Back 11

The fleshy part of a muscle.

Front 12

BIFURCATE

Back 12

(L. bi-, from bis, twice + L. furca, a fork) — Forked; two-pronged; having two branches.

Front 13

BODY

Back 13

(Anglo-Saxon bodig) — 1. The head, neck, trunk, and extremities. 2. The principal part of a structure, such as the broadest or longest mass of a bone or muscle.

Front 14

BOLUS

Back 14

A rounded food mass of soft consistency

Front 15

BORDER

Back 15

A bounding line, edge, or surface (see Margin).

Front 16

BURSA

Back 16

(Medieval Latin, a purse) — A sac or saclike cavity lined by synovial membrane and filled with a viscid fluid. Bursae are situated at places in which friction would otherwise develop.

Front 17

CARTILAGE

Back 17

(L. cartilagio, gristle) — A type of connective tissue.

Front 18

CERVIX

Back 18

The constricted region between the head and thorax, or the constricted region of an organ.

Front 19

CHYME

Back 19

(Gr. chymos, juice) — A semifluid, homogeneous, creamy material produced by the gastric digestion of food.

Front 20

CHONDRAL

Back 20

(Gr. chondros, cartilage) — Pertaining to cartilage.

Front 21

COLLATERAL

Back 21

(L. collateral, con, together+ latus, side) — Accompanying, running by the side of, or accessory to the main structure.

Front 22

CONTRALATERAL

Back 22

(L. contra, opposite + latus, side) — situated on, or pertaining to, the opposite side of the body (see ipsilateral).

Front 23

CONVOLUTED

Back 23

(L. con, with + volvo, to roll or turn) — Rolled together or coiled.

Front 24

COSTAL

Back 24

(L. costa, rib) — Pertaining to a rib or ribs.

Front 25

CRICOID

Back 25

(Gr. krikos, a ring) — Ring-shaped.

Front 26

CRUCIATE

Back 26

(L. cruci, a cross) — Shaped like a cross.

Front 27

CRUCIFORM

Back 27

L. crux, cross + forma, form) — Shaped like a cross.

Front 28

CRUS, plural CRURA

Back 28

(L.) — The leg, from knee to foot. As a general term, any leg-like structure.

Front 29

DACTYLUS

Back 29

(Gr. dactylus, a finger) — A finger or toe; specifically a toe as distinguished from digitus, a finger.

Front 30

DIAPHYSIS

Back 30

(Gr. "the point of separation between stalk and branch" [Dorland's 27th ed. 1988 page 464]) — The shaft of a long bone.

Front 31

DIGIT

Back 31

(L. digitus, gen. and plural digiti) — A finger or toe, specifically a finger as distinguished from dactylus a toe

Front 32

DISSECT

Back 32

(L. dis, apart + seco, pp. -sectus, to cut asunder) — 1. To cut apart or separate the tissues of the body in the study of anatomy. 2. In an operation, to separate structures along natural lines or by cutting or tearing the connective framework, instead of making a wide incision.

Front 33

EPIPHYSIS

Back 33

(Gr. "an ongrowth; excresence" [Dorland's 27th ed. 1988 page 569]) — The extremity or head of a long bone.

Front 34

EXTRINSIC

Back 34

(L. extrinsecus, from without) — Originating outside of a particular structure or part of the body (see intrinsic).

Front 35

FASCIA

Back 35

(L. a band) — A sheet of fibrous tissue which envelops the body beneath the skin; a sheet of fibrous tissue which encloses (surrounds) individual muscles or groups of muscles.

Front 36

FALCIFORM

Back 36

L. falx, sickle + forma, form) — Crescentic or sickle-shaped.

Front 37

FENESTRA

Back 37

(L. window) — A window-like opening. (Dorland's 27th ed. 1988 page 617)

Front 38

FINGER

Back 38

(A.S.) — one of the digits of the hand, digitus manus.

Front 39

HILUS

Back 39

A depression in an organ where the vessels and nerves enter or leave.

Front 40

HYOID

Back 40

(GR. hyoeides, like the letter upsilon, ) — Shaped like the letter U

Front 41

INGUINAL

Back 41

(L. inguen, groin) — Pertaining to the groin, the region of the body between the pubis and iliac crest.

Front 42

INSERTION

Back 42

(L. insertio, from in, into + serere, to join) — The place of attachment of a muscle which is the most movable or the farthest from the mid line (see origin).

Front 43

INTERCOSTAL

Back 43

(L. inter, between + costa, rib) — situated between the ribs.

Front 44

INTRINSIC

Back 44

(L. intrinsecus, on the inside) — Situated within or pertaining exclusively to a particular part of the body; originating within a particular structure or part of the body (see extrinsic).

Front 45

LIGAMENT

Back 45

(L. a band or tie, from ligo, to bind) — 1. Fibrous tissue that binds bones or cartilages together. 2. Fibrous tissue that is related to soft tissues but is cord-like in appearance.

Front 46

LUMEN

Back 46

(L. light) — The cavity or channel within a tube or tubular organ.

Front 47

MARGIN

Back 47

L. margo, pl. margines) — A margin, edge, or border (see Border).

Front 48

MEDIASTINUM

Back 48

(modified L., a middle septum) — A median septum or partition. The most common use of the term refers to the middle region of the thorax which contains the heart, great vessels, esophagus, trachea, phrenic nerves, and vagus nerves.

Front 49

MESENTERY

Back 49

(Gr. meso, middle + enteron, intestine) — A general term for a double layer of peritoneum. Specifically, the peritoneum that attaches the small intestine to the posterior abdominal wall is called the mesentery.

Front 50

NAVICULAR

Back 50

(L. navis, ship) — Boat-shaped.

Front 51

NECK

Back 51

A constricted region.

Front 52

ODONTOID

Back 52

(Gr. odous, tooth) — Like a tooth.

Front 53

OMENTUM

Back 53

(L. the membrane that encloses the bowels) — A fold of peritoneum connecting the abdominal viscera with the stomach.

Front 54

ORIGIN

Back 54

(L. origo, beginning) — 1. The attachment of a muscle that is least movable or closest to the mid line. 2. The site of emergence of a peripheral nerve from the central nervous system.

Front 55

PARIETAL

Back 55

(L. paries, wall) — Pertaining to the coverings (linings) of the walls of the body cavity (contrast to visceral).

Front 56

PERISTALSIS

Back 56

The worm-like movements by which the alimentary canal or other tubular organs, which are provided with both longitudinal and circular muscle fibers, propel their contents; it consists of a wave of contraction passing along the tube.

Front 57

PERITONEUM

Back 57

(Gr. peritonaiaon, to stretch over) — The serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity, forms mesenteries, and covers the abdominal viscera. The peritoneum has parietal and visceral divisions.

Front 58

PERONEAL

Back 58

Pertaining to the outer (fibular) side of the leg.

Front 59

PHALANX

Back 59

(L. from Gr. phalanx, line of soldiers, bone between two joints of the fingers and toes) gen. phalangis, pl. phalanges — One of the long bones of the fingers or toes, 14 in number for each hand and foot, two for the thumb or great toe (proximal and distal), three each for the other four digits (proximal, middle, and distal).

Front 60

PHRENIC

Back 60

(Gr. phren, the diaphragm, heart, mind, seat of emotions) — Pertaining to the diaphragm.

Front 61

PIRIFORM

Back 61

(L. pirum, pear + forma, form) — Pear-shaped.

Front 62

PISIFORM

Back 62

(L. pisum, pea + forma, form) — Like a pea in shape and size.

Front 63

PLEURA

Back 63

(Gr. pleura, a rib) — The serous membrane covering the lungs and lining the walls of the thoracic cavity.

Front 64

PLEXUS

Back 64

(L. a braid) — A braided network, especially of nerves, veins, or lymphatics.

Front 65

PORTAL

Back 65

(L. porta, a gate) — 1. A gateway or entranceway, especially that of the liver. 2. A portal vein is a vein between two capillary networks.

Front 66

PSOAS

Back 66

(Gr. psoas, the loin or muscles of the loin) — Pertaining to the loin — the part of the back between the ribs and hip bone (iliac crest).

Front 67

RAMUS

Back 67

(L. branch) — A plate-like branch of a bone, nerve, or vessel.

Front 68

REGIONAL ANATOMY

Back 68

Not an anatomical term as such, but rather a method of approaching the study of human anatomy. Using this method a specific region of the body is studied in detail during a given period of time. Thus, the bones, joints, muscles, organs, blood vessels, and nerves of a region would be studied at essentially the same time, and before moving on to another region. Regions include the head and neck; thorax; abdomen; pelvis; back; and extremities. Many text books and atlases are arranged in this manner (see Systemic Anatomy).

Front 69

RENAL

Back 69

(L. ren, kidney) — Pertaining to the kidney.

Front 70

RETINACULUM

Back 70

(L. retinaculum, a band or halter) — A special fascial thickening which helps to retain a structure in its place.

Front 71

SCIATIC

Back 71

(medieval Latin sciaticus, a corruption of the GR. ischiadikos, from ischion, the hip) — Pertaining to the ischium of the pelvis.

Front 72

SEMILUNAR

Back 72

(L. luna, moon) — Resembling a crescent or half-moon.

Front 73

SERRATE

Back 73

(L. serra, saw) — Saw-toothed.

Front 74

SIGMOID

Back 74

(Gr. sigmoeides, from the letter sigma (S, ∑, + eidos, form) — Shaped like the letter S.

Front 75

SPHINCTER

Back 75

A ring-like muscle enclosing a natural orifice.

Front 76

SYMPHYSIS

Back 76

(Gr. a growing together) — A type of joint.

Front 77

SYSTEMIC ANATOMY

Back 77

Not an anatomical term as such, but rather a method of approaching the study of human anatomy. Using this method a specific system of the body is studied in detail during a given period of time. The major systems of the body include the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, nervous, digestive, respiratory, reproductive, and excretory. Thus, each major system would be studied in its entirety before moving on to another system. This method is impractical in the laboratory, but many classic text books use a systemic approach (see Regional Anatomy).

Front 78

TENDON

Back 78

(L. tendo, Gr. tenon) — A fibrous tissue securing a muscle to its attachment.

Front 79

THYROID

Back 79

(Gr. thyreoeides, from thyreos, shield + eidos, form) — Resembling a shield.

Front 80

TOE

Back 80

(Anglo-Saxon ta) — Digitus pedis; one of the digits of the feet.

Front 81

TRUNK

Back 81

(L. truncus, stem) — 1. The body, excluding the head and extremities. 2. A primary nerve or vessel before its division.

Front 82

UNILATERAL

Back 82

Pertaining to only one side of the body.

Front 83

VALVE

Back 83

A membranous fold in a canal or passage which prevents the reflux of the contents

Front 84

VERMIFORM

Back 84

(L. vermis, worm + forma ) — Shaped like a worm.

Front 85

VISCERA

Back 85

(L. viscus, plural viscera, the soft parts, internal organs) — The internal organs.

Front 86

VISCERAL

Back 86

Pertaining to internal organs or the coverings of the internal organs (contrast to parietal).

Front 87

XIPHOID

Back 87

(Gr. xiphos, sword + eidos, appearance) — Shaped like a sword.