Question | Answer |
Axial | Relating to head, neck, and trunk |
Appendicular | Relating to limbs and their attachments to the axis |
Abdominal | Pertaining to anterior body truck region inferior to the ribs |
Acromial | Pertaining to the point of the shoulder |
Antebrachial | Pertaining to the forearm |
Antecubital | pertaining to the anterior surface of the elbow |
Brachial | Pertaining to the arm |
Buccal | Pertaining to the cheek |
Calcaneal | Pertaining to the heel of the foot |
Carpal | Pertaining to the wrist |
Cephalic | Pertaining to the head |
Cervical | Pertaining to the neck region |
Coxal | Pertaining to the hip |
Crural | Pertaining to the leg |
Digital | Pertaining to the fingers and toes |
Dorsum | Pertaining to the back |
Femoral | Pertaining to the thigh |
Fibular/peroneal | Pertaining to the side of the leg |
Frontal | Pertaining to the forehead |
Gluteal | Pertaining to the buttocks or rump |
Hallax | Pertaining to the great toe |
Inguinal | Pertaining to the groin |
Lumbar | Pertaining to the area of the back between the ribs and hips; the loin |
Mammory | Pertaining to the breast |
Manus | Pertaining to the hand |
Mental | Pertaining to the chin |
Nasal | Pertaining to the nose |
Occipital | Pertaining to the posterior aspect of the head or base of the skull |
Olecranal | Pertaining to the posterior aspect of the elbow |
Oral | Pertaining to the mouth |
Orbital | Pertaining to the bony eye socket |
Otic | Pertaining to the ear |
Metacarpal | Pertaining to the palm of the hand |
Patellar | Pertaining to the anterior knee region (knee cap) |
Pedal | Pertaining to the foot |
Pelvic | Pertaining to the pelvis region |
Perineal | Pertaining to the region between the anus and external genitalia |
Plantar | Pertaining to the sole of the foot |
Pollex | Pertaining to the thumb |
Popliteal | Pertaining to the back of the knee |
Pubic | Pertaining to the genital region |
Sacral | Pertaining to the region between the hips (overlying the sacrum) |
Scapular | Pertaining to the shoulder blade area |
Sternal | Pertaining to the region of the breastbone |
Sural | Pertaining to the calf or posterior surface of the leg |
Tarsal | Pertaining to the ankle |
Thoracic | Pertaining to the chest |
Umbilical | Pertaining to the navel |
Vertebral | Pertaining to the area of the spinal column |
Superior | Above another structure |
Inferior | Below another structure |
Anterior | Toward the front of the body |
Posterior | Toward the back of the body |
Ipsilateral | Same side of the body |
Contralateral | Opposite side of the body |
Medial | Toward the midline of the body |
Lateral | Away from the midline of the body |
Cephalad/Crainial | Toward the head (top) |
Caudal | Toward the tail (bottom) |
Dorsal | Backside |
Ventral | Bellyside |
Proximal | Nearer the trunk or attached end |
Distal | Farther from the trunk or point of attachment |
Superficial | Toward or at the body surface, external |
Deep | Away from the body surface, internal |
Frontal Plane | Plane that divides the body into front and back |
Sagittal Plane | Plane that divides the body into right and left |
Parasagittal Plane | Plane that is near the median plane |
Transverse Plane | Plane that divides the body into top and bottom |
Parietal Serosa | Outerwall surrounding a cavity |
Visceral Serosa | Lining surrounding an organ |
Mucous Membranes | Open to body’s outside |
Serous Membranes | Do not open to body’s outside |
Axillary | Pertaining to the armpit |
Cranial Cavity | Contains the brain |
Vertebral Cavity | Contains the spinal cord |
Dorsal Body Cavity | Contains the cranial and vertebral cavities |
Thoracic Cavity | Contains heart and lungs |
Abdominal Cavity | Contains stomach, intestines, liver, etc |
Pelvic Cavity | Contains reproductive organs, bladder, and rectum |
Ventral Body Cavity | Contains the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities |
Umbilical Region | The centermost region, which includes the umbilicus |
Epigastric Region | Region immediately superior to the umbilical region |
Hypogastric Region | Region immediately interior to the umbilical region |
Iliac Regions | Regions lateral to the hypogastric region and overlying the superior parts of the hip bones |
Lumbar Regions | Regions between the ribs and the flaring portions of the hip bones; lateral to the umbilical region |
Hypochondriac Regions | Regions lateral to the epigastric region and overlying the lower ribs |
Oral Cavity | Contains mouth, tongue, and teeth |
Nasal Cavity | Cavity within the posterior of the nose |
Synoval Cavities | Cavities that surround the freely movable joints of the body |
Integumentary | Epidermal and dermal regions |
Integumentary | Protects deeper organs from mechanical, chemical, and bacterial injury, and desiccation (drying out) |
Integumentary | Excretes salts and urea |
Integumentary | Aids in regulation of body temperature |
Integumentary | Produces vitamin D |
Skeletal | Bones, cartilages, tendons, ligaments, and joints |
Skeletal | Body support and protection of internal organs |
Skeletal | Provides levers for muscular action |
Skeletal | Cavities provide a site for blood cell formation |
Muscular | Muscles attached to the skeleton |
Muscular | Primary function is to contract or shorten; in doing so skeletal muscles allow locomotion, grasping and manipulation of the environment and facial expression |
Muscular | Generates heat |
Nervous | Brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory receptors |
Nervous | Allows body to detect changes in its internal and external environment and to respond to such information by activating appropriate muscles or glands |
Nervous | Helps maintain homeostatis of the body via rapid transmission of electrical signals |
Endocrine | Pituitary, thymus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and pineal glands; ovaries, testes, and pancreas |
Endocrine | Helps maintain body homeostasis, promotes growth and development; produces chemical “messengers” (hormones) that travel in the blood to exert their effect(s) on various “target organs” of the body |
Cardiovascular | Heart, blood vessels, and blood |
Cardiovascular | Primarily a transport system that carries blood containing oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, wastes, ions, hormones, and other substances to and from the tissue cells where exchanges are made |
Cardiovascular | Antibodies and other protein molecules in the blood act to protect the body |
Lymphatic/Immunity | Lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, tonsils, and scattered collections of lymphoid tissue |
Lymphatic/Immunity | Picks up fluid leaked from the blood vessels and returns it to the blood |
Lymphatic/Immunity | Cleanes blood of pathogens and other debris |
Lymphatic/Immunity | Houses lymphocytes that act via the immune response to protect the body from foreign substances (antigens) |
Respiratory | Keeps the blood continuously supplied with oxygen while removing carbon dioxide |
Respiratory | Contributes to the acid-base balance of the blood via its carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer system |
Digestive | Oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and accessory structures (teeth, salivary glands, liver, and pancreas) |
Digestive | Breaks down ingested foods to minute particles, which can be absorbed into the blood for delivery to the body cells |
Digestive | Undigested residue removed from the body as feces |
Urinary | Kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra |
Urinary | Rids the body of nitrogen-containing wastes (urea, uric acid, and ammonia), which result from the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids by body cells |
Urinary | Maintains water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance of blood |
Male Reproductive | testes, prostate gland, scrotum, penis, and duct system, which carries sperm to the body exterior |
Male Reproductive | Provides germ cells (sperm) for perpetuation of the species |
Female Reproductive | Ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, mammary glands, and vagina |
Female Reproductive | Provides germ cells (eggs); the female uterus houses the developing fetus until birth; mammary glands provide nutrition for the infant |
Thymus | An irregular mass of glandular tissue overlying the heart. |
Heart | Medial oval structure enclosed within the pericardium (serous membrane sac). |
Lungs | Organs flanking the heart laterally |
Trachea | Tube running medially down the throat; part of the respiratory system |
Bronchi | Two passageways that plunge laterally into the tissue of the two lungs |
Esophagus | A food chute; the part of the digestive system that transports food from the pharynx to the stomach |
Diaphram | A thin muscle attached to the inferior boundary of the rib cage; separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities |
Stomach | A curved organ important in food digestion and temporary food storage |
Small intestine | Connected to the stomach and ending just before the sac like cecum |
Large intestine | A large muscular tube connected to the small intestine and ending at the anus |
Cecum | The initial portion of the large intestine |
Rectum | Terminal part of the large intestine; continuous with the anal canal |
Anus | The opening of the digestive tract (through the anal canal) to the exterior |
Mesentery | An apronlike serous membrane; suspends many of the digestive organs in the abdominal cavity |
Pancreas | A diffuse gland; rests dorsal to and in the mesentery between the first portion of the small intestine and the stomach |
Spleen | A dark red organ curving around the left lateral side of the stomach; considered part of the lymphatic system and often called the red blood cell graveyard |
Liver | Large and brownish red; the most superior organ in the abdominal cavity, directly beneath the diaphragm |
Kidneys | Bean-shaped organs; retroperitoneal |
Adrenal glands | Large endocrine glands that sit astride the superior margin of each kidney; considered part of the endocrine system |
Ureter | Tube running from the indented region of a kidney to the urinary bladder |
Urinary bladder | The sac that serves as a reservoir for urine |
Inferior vena cava | The large vein that returns blood to the heart from the lower regions of the body |
Descending aorta | Deep to the inferior vena cava; the largest artery of the body; carries blood away from the heart down the midline of the body |
Anatomy | Study of the structure of living organisms. |
Physiology | Study of the function of living organisms. |
Metabolism | Sum total of the chemical reactions occurring in the body cells. |
Catabolism | Process in which living cells breakdown substances in to simpler substances. |
Anabolism | Energy-requiring building phase of metabolism in which simpler substances are combined to form more complex substances. |
Cell organelles | Small cellular structures that perform specific metabolic functions for the cell as a whole. |
Cell | Structural unit of all living organisms. |
Tissues | A group of similar cells and their intercellular substance specialized to perform a specific function; epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous. |
Organs | A part of the body formed of two or more tissues and adapted to carry out a specific function. |
Organ systems | A group of organs that work together to perform a vital body function. |
Organism | The living animal or plant, which represents the sum total of all its organ systems working together to maintain life. |
Superior | Above another structure |
Inferior | Below another structure |
Anterior | Toward the front of the body |
Posterior | Toward the back of the body |
Medial | Toward the midline of the body |
Lateral | Away from the midline of the body |
Intermediate | Between a more medial and a more lateral structure |
Ipsilateral | Same side of the body |
Contralateral | Opposite side of the body |
Proximal | Nearer the trunk or attached end |
Distal | Farther from the trunk or point of attachment |
Superficial | Toward or at the body surface, external |
Deep | Away from the body surface, internal |
Parietal | Outerwall |
Visceral | Internal |
Sagital | Plane that divides the body into right and left |
Midsagittal | Exact midline of the body |
Parasagittal | Offset from the midline of the body |
Anatomical position | The standard body position, the body is erect with feet slightly apart, palms facing forward and thumbs pointing away from the body. |
Frontal | Pertaining to the forehead |
Coronal | Frontal Plane, divides body into anterior and posterior. |
Horizontal plane | Transverse Plane, cross-section of body, divides body into superior and interior. |
transverse plane | Plane that divides the body into top and bottom |
cephalic | Pertaining to the head |
cervical | Pertaining to the neck region |
acromial | Pertaining to the point of the shoulder |
olecranal | Pertaining to the posterior aspect of the elbow |
dorsal | Backside |
ventral | Bellyside |
popliteal | Pertaining to the back of the knee |
sural | Pertaining to the calf or posterior surface of the leg |
plantar | Pertaining to the sole of the foot |
calcaneal | Pertaining to the heel of the foot |
cranial | Toward the head (top) |
orbital | Pertaining to the bony eye socket |
otic | Pertaining to the ear |
buccal | Pertaining to the cheek |
nasal | Pertaining to the nose |
oral | Pertaining to the mouth |
mental | Pertaining to the chin |
axillary | Pertaining to the armpit |
brachial | Pertaining to the arm |
antecubital | Pertaining to the anterior surface of the elbow |
antebrachial | Pertaining to the forearm |
carpal | Pertaining to the wrist |
metacarpal | Pertaining to the palm of the hand |
pollex | Pertaining to the thumb |
digital | Pertaining to the fingers and toes |
femoral | Pertaining to the thigh |
patellar | Pertaining to the anterior knee region (knee cap) |
crural | Pertaining to the leg |
tarsal | Pertaining to the ankle |
hallux | Pertaining to the great toe |
dorsal body cavity | Contains the cranial and vertebral cavities |
ventral body cavity | Contains the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities |
pleural cavities | Contains the lungs |
mediastinum | The medial cavity of the thorax containing the heatr, great vessels, and trachea. |
hypochondriac | Regions lateral to the epigastric region and overlying the lower ribs |
epigastric | Region immediately superior to the umbilical region |
lumbar/loin | Regions between the ribs and the flaring portions of the hip bones; lateral to the umbilical region |
umbilical | The centermost region, which includes the umbilicus |
iliac | Regions lateral to the hypogastric region and overlying the superior parts of the hip bones |
inguinal | Pertaining to the groin |
hypogastric | Region immediately interior to the umbilical region |
homeostasis | A state of body equilibrium or stable internal environment of the body |
negative feedback | The net effect is that the output of the system shuts off the original stimulus or reduces its intensity. |
positive feedback | Causes the level of variable to change in the same direction as an initial change. |
receptors | Some type of sensor that monitors the environment and responds to changes by sending information to the second component. |
effectors | Provides the means for the control center’s response to the stimulus. |
internal receptors | Receptors which are sensitive to changes and stimuli within the body’s internal environment |
external receptors | Receptors which are sensitive to changes and stimuli within the body’s external environment |
steady state | Homeostatic balance |