Med Terms Chapter 3

Front 1

Anter/o

Back 1

Front

Front 2

Caud/o

Back 2

Tail (downward)

Front 3

Cephal/o

Back 3

Head (upward)

Front 4

Dist/o

Back 4

Away (from the point of attachment of a body part)

Front 5

Dors/o

Back 5

Back

Front 6

Infer/o

Back 6

Below

Front 7

Later/o

Back 7

Side

Front 8

Medi/o

Back 8

Middle

Front 9

Poster/o

Back 9

Back, behind

Front 10

Proxim/o

Back 10

Near (the point of attachment of a body part)

Front 11

Super/o

Back 11

Above

Front 12

Ventr/o

Back 12

Belly (front)

Front 13

Bi-

Back 13

Two

Front 14

Uni-

Back 14

One

Front 15

-ad

Back 15

Toward

Front 16

-ior

Back 16

Pertaining to

Front 17

Cuadad

Back 17

Toward the tail (or the inferior portion of the trunk, downward)

Front 18

Cephalad

Back 18

Toward the head (upward)

Front 19

Lateral (lat)

Back 19

Pertaining to a side

Front 20

Medial (med)

Back 20

Pertaining to the middle

Front 21

Unilateral

Back 21

Pertaining to one side only

Front 22

Bilateral

Back 22

Pertaining to two sides

Front 23

Mediolateral

Back 23

Pertaining to the middle and to the side

Front 24

Distal

Back 24

Pertaining to away (from the point of attachment of a body part)

Front 25

Proximal

Back 25

Pertaining to near (to the point of attachment of a body part)

Front 26

Inferior (inf)

Back 26

Pertaining to below

Front 27

Superior (sup)

Back 27

Pertaining to above

Front 28

Caudal

Back 28

Pertaining to the tail (synonymous with inferior in human anatomy when specifying location in the trunk of the body)

Front 29

Cephalic

Back 29

Pertaining to the Head

Front 30

Anterior (ant)

Back 30

Pertaining to the front

Front 31

Posterior

Back 31

Pertaining to the back

Front 32

Dorsal

Back 32

Pertaining to the back

Front 33

Ventral

Back 33

Pertaining to the belly (front)

Front 34

Anteroposterior (AP)

Back 34

Pertaining to the front and to the back

Front 35

Posteroanterior (PA)

Back 35

Pertaining to the back and to the front

Front 36

Frontal or coronal

Back 36

Vertical plane passing through the body from side to side, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions

Front 37

Midsagittal

Back 37

Vertical plane passing through the body from front to back at the midline, diving the body equally into right and left halves

Front 38

Parasagittal

Back 38

Vertical plane passing through the body from front to back, dividing the body into unequal left and right sides

Front 39

Sagittal

Back 39

Vertical plane passing through the body from front to back, dividing the body into right and left sides (any plane parallel to the midsagittal plane)

Front 40

Transverse

Back 40

Horizontal plane dividing the body into superior and inferior portions

Front 41

Fowler position

Back 41

Semi-sitting position with slight elevation of the knees

Front 42

Lithotomy position

Back 42

Lying on back with legs raised and feet in stirrups, hips and knees flexed, thighs abducted and externally rotated

Front 43

Orthopnea position

Back 43

Sitting erect in a chair or sitting upright in bed supported by pillows behind the head and chest (also called orthopneic position)

Front 44

Prone position

Back 44

Lying on abdomen, facing downward (head may be turned to one side)

Front 45

Recumbent position

Back 45

Lying down in any position

Front 46

Sims position

Back 46

Lying on left side with right knee drawn up and with left arm drawn behind, parallel to the back

Front 47

supine position

Back 47

Lying on back, facing upward

Front 48

Trendelenburg position

Back 48

Lying on back with body tilted so that the head is lower than the feet

Front 49

Umbilical region

Back 49

Around the navel (umbilicus)

Front 50

Lumbar regions

Back 50

To the right and left of the umbilical region, near the waist

Front 51

Epigastric region

Back 51

Superior to the umbilical region

Front 52

Hypochondriac regions

Back 52

To the right and left of the epigastric region

Front 53

Hypogastric region

Back 53

Inferior to the umbilical region

Front 54

Iliac region

Back 54

To the right and left of the hypogastric region, near the groin (also called the inguinal regions)

Front 55

Right upper quadrant (RUQ)

Back 55

Refers to the area encompassing the right lobe of the liver, the gallbladder, medical portion of the pancreas, and portions of the small and large intestines

Front 56

Left upper quadrant (LUQ)

Back 56

Refers to the area encompassing the left lobe of the liver, the stomach, the spleen, lateral portion of the pancreas, and portions of the small and large intestines

Front 57

Right lower quadrant (RLQ)

Back 57

Refers to the area encompassing portions of the large and small intestines, the appendix, the right ureter, and the right ovary and uterine tube in women or the right spermatic duct in men

Front 58

Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

Back 58

Refers to the area in compass in portions of the small and large intestines, the left ureter, and the left ovary and uterine tube in women or the left spermatic duct in men

Front 59

abbreviation for anterior

Back 59

ant

Front 60

Abbreviation for anteroposterior

Back 60

AP

Front 61

Abbreviation for inferior

Back 61

inf

Front 62

Abbreviation for lateral

Back 62

lat

Front 63

Abbreviation for medial

Back 63

med

Front 64

Posteroanterior

Back 64

PA

Front 65

Abbreviation for Superior

Back 65

sup