Medical Terminology

Front 1

cell

Back 1

smallest and most numerous structural unit of living matter

Front 2

nucleus

Back 2

central controlling body within a living cell

Front 3

chromosomes

Back 3

the threadlike structures within the nucleus that control the functions of growth, repair, and reproduction for the body

Front 4

genes

Back 4

segments of chromosomes that transmit hereditary characteristics

Front 5

anaplasia

Back 5

a change in the structure and orientation of cells, characterized by a loss of differentiation and reversion to a more primitive form

Front 6

aplasia

Back 6

a developmental failure resulting in the absence of any organ or tissue

Front 7

dysplasia

Back 7

any abnormal developmen of tissues or organs

Front 8

hyperplasia

Back 8

an increase in the number of cells of a body part

Front 9

hypoplasia

Back 9

incomplete or underdeveloped organ or tissue, usually the result of a decrease in the number of cells

Front 10

neoplasia

Back 10

the new and abnormal development of cells that may be benign or malignant

Front 11

connective tissue

Back 11

tissue that supports and binds other body tissue and parts

Front 12

epithelial tissue

Back 12

the tissue that covers the internal and external organs of the body; it also lines the vessels, body cavities, glands, and body organs

Front 13

muscle tissue

Back 13

the tissue that is capable of producing movement of the parts and ogans of the body by contracting and relaxing its fibers

Front 14

skeletal muscle

Back 14

muscle that is attached to bone and is responsible for the movement of the skeleton

Front 15

smooth muscle/visceral muscle

Back 15

muscle that is foundin the walls of the hollow internal organs of the body such as the stomach and intestine

Front 16

nervous tissue

Back 16

tissue that transmits impulses throughout the body, thereby activating, coordinating, and controling the many functions of the body

Front 17

tissue

Back 17

a group of cells that perform specialized functions

Front 18

system

Back 18

organs that work together to perform the many functions of the body as a whole

Front 19

histologist

Back 19

a medical scientist who specializes in the study of tissues

Front 20

cytology

Back 20

the study of cells

Front 21

peritoneum

Back 21

a specific, serous membrane that covers the entire abdominal wall of the body and is reflected over the contained viscera

Front 22

organ

Back 22

tissues that are arranged together to perform a special function

Front 23

frontal plane

Back 23

any of the vertical planes passing through the body from the head to the fee, perpendicular to the sagittal planes and dividing the body into front and back portions

Front 24

transverse plane

Back 24

any of the planes cutting across the body perpendicular to the sagittal and the frontal planes, dividing the body in to superior and inferior portions

Front 25

midsagittal plane

Back 25

the plane that divides the body or a structure into right and left equal portions

Front 26

hypochondriac

Back 26

the right and left regions of the upper abdomen, beneath the cartilage of the lower ribs; located on either side of the epigastric region

Front 27

epigastric

Back 27

the region of the abdomen located between the right and left hypochondriac regions in the upper section of the abdomen, beneath the cartilage of the ribs

Front 28

lumbar

Back 28

the right and left regions of the middle section of the abdomen

Front 29

umbilical

Back 29

the region of the abdomen located in the middle section of the abdomen, between the right and left lumbar regions and directly beneath the epigastric region

Front 30

inguinal

Back 30

the right and left regions of the lower section of the abdomen; also called the iliac region

Front 31

hypogastric

Back 31

the middle section of the lower abdomen, beneath the umbilical region

Front 32

thoracic cavity

Back 32

the chest cavity, which contains the lungs, heart, aorta, esophagus, and trachea

Front 33

abdominal cavity

Back 33

the cavity beneath the thoracic cavity that is seperated from the thoracic cavity by the diaphragm

Front 34

pelvic cavity

Back 34

the lower front cavity of the body, located beneath the abdominal cavity

Front 35

abdominopelvic cavity

Back 35

a term that describes the abdominal and pelvic cavity collectively

Front 36

cranial cavity

Back 36

the cavity that contains the brain

Front 37

spinal cavity

Back 37

the cavity that contains the nerves of the spinal cord

Front 38

cervical vertebrae

Back 38

the first seven segments of the spinal column

Front 39

thoracic vertebrae

Back 39

the second segment of 12 vertebrae that make up the vertebral bones of the chest

Front 40

lumbar vertebrae

Back 40

the largest and strongst of the vertebrae of the spinal column, located in the lower back.

Front 41

sacrum

Back 41

the singular, triangular-shaped bone that results from the fusion of the five individual sacral bones of the child

Front 42

coccyx

Back 42

the tailbone

Front 43

anatomical position

Back 43

the standard reference position for the body as a whole

Front 44

superficial

Back 44

pertaining to the surface of the body, or near the surface

Front 45

deep

Back 45

away from the surface

Front 46

anterior

Back 46

pertaining to the front of the body or toward the belly of the body

Front 47

posterior

Back 47

pertaining to the back of the body

Front 48

ventral

Back 48

pertaining to the front; belly side

Front 49

dorsal

Back 49

pertaining to the back

Front 50

medial

Back 50

toward the midline of the body

Front 51

lateral

Back 51

toward the side of the body, away from the midline of the body

Front 52

mediolateral

Back 52

pertaining to the middle and side of a structure

Front 53

superior

Back 53

above or upward toward the head

Front 54

inferior

Back 54

below or downward toward the tail or feet

Front 55

cranial

Back 55

pertaining to the skull or cranium

Front 56

caudal

Back 56

pertaining to the tail

Front 57

distal

Back 57

away from or farthest from the trunk of the body, or farthest from the point of origin of a body part

Front 58

proximal

Back 58

toward or nearest to the trunk of the body, or nearest to the point of origin of a body part

Front 59

supine

Back 59

lying horizontally on the back; faceup

Front 60

prone

Back 60

lying facedown on the abdomen

Front 61

supination

Back 61

a movement that allows the palms of the hands to turn upward or forward

Front 62

pronation

Back 62

a movement that allows the palms of the hands to turn downward and backward

Front 63

plantar

Back 63

pertaining to the sole or the bottom of the feet

Front 64

dorsum

Back 64

the back or posterior surface of a part

Front 65

mcburney's point

Back 65

a point on the right side of the abdomen, about two-thirds of the distance between the umbilicus and the anterior bony prominence of the hip

Front 66

membrane

Back 66

a thin layer of tissue that covers a surface, lines a cavity, or divides a space, such as the abdominal membrane that lines the abdominal wall

Front 67

midline of the body

Back 67

the imaginary line that is created when the body is divided into equal right and left halves

Front 68

munro's point

Back 68

a point on the left side of the abdomen, about halfway between the umilicus and the anterior bony prominence of the hip

Front 69

plane

Back 69

imaginary slices, or cuts, made through the body as if a dividing sheet were passed through the body at a particular angle and in a particular direction, permitting a view from a different angle

Front 70

spinal canal

Back 70

the cavity within the vertebral column

Front 71

thoracic

Back 71

the chest cavity

Front 72

umbilicus

Back 72

the naval

Front 73

verteral column

Back 73

the flexible structure that forms the longitudinal axis of the skeleton

Front 74

visceral

Back 74

pertaining to the internal organs

Front 75

RUQ

Back 75

right upper quadrant

Front 76

LUQ

Back 76

left upper quadrant

Front 77

RLQ

Back 77

right lower quadrant

Front 78

LLQ

Back 78

left lower quadrant

Front 79

abdomin/o

Back 79

abdomen

Front 80

ana-

Back 80

not, without

Front 81

anter/o

Back 81

front

Front 82

cervic/o

Back 82

neck; cervix

Front 83

coccyb/o

Back 83

coccyx

Front 84

crani/o

Back 84

skull; cranium

Front 85

cyt/o

Back 85

cell

Front 86

dors/o

Back 86

back

Front 87

dys-

Back 87

bad, difficult, painful, disordered

Front 88

epi-

Back 88

upon, over

Front 89

hist/o

Back 89

tissue

Front 90

hypo-

Back 90

under, below, beneath, less than normal

Front 91

-iac

Back 91

pertaining to

Front 92

ili/o

Back 92

ilium

Front 93

inguin/o

Back 93

groin

Front 94

inter-

Back 94

between

Front 95

-ion

Back 95

action, process

Front 96

later/o

Back 96

side

Front 97

lumb/o

Back 97

loins, lower back

Front 98

medi/o

Back 98

middle

Front 99

nucle/o

Back 99

nucleus

Front 100

pelv/i

Back 100

pelvis

Front 101

-plasm

Back 101

living substance

Front 102

poster/o

Back 102

back

Front 103

proxim/o

Back 103

near

Front 104

sacr/o

Back 104

sacrum

Front 105

-some

Back 105

a "body" of a specified sort

Front 106

spin/o

Back 106

spine

Front 107

thorac/o

Back 107

chest

Front 108

umbilic/o

Back 108

navel

Front 109

ventr/o

Back 109

belly; front side

Front 110

vertebr/o

Back 110

vertebra

Front 111

viscer/o

Back 111

internal organs