1. Body Organization Combining Forms
abdomin/o abdomen
adip/o fat
anter/o front
brachi/o arm
caud/o tail
cephal/o head
cervic/o neck
chondr/o cartilage
crani/o skull
crur/o leg
cyt/o cell
dist/o away from
dors/o back of body
epitheli/o epithelium
glute/o buttock
hist/o tissue
infer/o below
later/o side

2. Body Organization Combining Forms
medi/o middle
muscul/o muscle
neur/o nerve
organ/o organ
oste/o bone
pelv/o pelvis
peritone/o peritoneum
pleur/o pleura
poster/o back
proxim/o near to
pub/o genital region
somat/o body
spin/o spine
super/o above
system/o system
thorac/o chest
ventr/o belly
vertebr/o vertebra
viscer/o internal organ

3. Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Fourth Edition
Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.

4. Anatomical Position
Used when describing positions & relationships of structures in body
Assume person is in anatomical position even if body or parts of the body are in other positions

5. Anatomical Position Standing erect Arms at side of body
Palms facing forward
Eyes straight forward
Legs are parallel
Feet and toes pointing forward

6. Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Fourth Edition
Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Figure 2.4 – The planes of the body: sagittal plane, frontal plane, and transverse plane.

7. Figure 2.5 – Anterior and posterior regions of the body.
Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Fourth Edition
Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Figure 2.5 – Anterior and posterior regions of the body.

8. Figure 2.6 – The dorsal (yellow) and ventral (red) body cavities.
Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Fourth Edition
Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Figure 2.6 – The dorsal (yellow) and ventral (red) body cavities.

9. Table 2.3, Figure A – The anatomical divisions of the abdomen.
Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Fourth Edition
Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Table 2.3, Figure A – The anatomical divisions of the abdomen.

10. Table 2.3, Figure B – The clinical divisions of the abdomen.
Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Fourth Edition
Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Table 2.3, Figure B – The clinical divisions of the abdomen.

11. Directional Terms Superior or cephalic Inferior or caudal
More towards head
Inferior or caudal
More towards feet
Anterior or ventral
More towards front or belly-side of body
Posterior or dorsal
More towards back or spinal cord side of body

12. Directional Terms Medial Lateral Proximal Distal More towards middle
More towards side
Proximal
Nearer to the point of attachment to body
Distal
Farther away from point of attachment to body

13. Directional Terms Apex Base Superficial Deep Tip or summit of organ
Bottom or lower part of an organ
Superficial
More towards surface of body
Deep
Further away from surface of body

14. Figure 2.8A – The supine position.
Supine – lying horizontally facing upward
Figure 2.8A – The supine position.

15. Figure 2.8B – The prone position.
Prone – lying horizontally facing downward
Figure 2.8B – The prone position.