Medical Terminology

Medical Terminology

1. Decoding Medical Terminology

   • Word Root
     • Basic meaning of word
   • Prefix
     • Added to beginning of term to modify or limit
   • Suffix
     • Ending added to word to dictate whether the word is a noun, adjective, or verb
   • Combining Form
     • Root word + vowel for pronunciation

2. Body Planes, Cavities, and Direction

   • Directional Terms
     • Supine - face up
     • Prone - face down
     • Distal - away from attachment site
     • Medial - middle
     • Proximal - near attachment site
     • Lateral - to the sides
   • Body cavities
     • Dorsal - back side of body
     • Ventral - front side of body
       • Thoracic - chest cavity
       • Abdominal - below diaphragm
         • Pelvic - under abdominal cavity
   • Body planes
     • Transverse - divides between top and bottom
     • Sagittal - divides between left and right
     • Coronal - divides between dorsal and ventral
   • Abdominal Regions
     • Right hypochondriac region
     • Epigastric region
     • Left hypochondriac region
     • Right lumbar region
     • Umbilical region
     • Left lumbar region
     • Right iliac region
     • Hypogastric region
     • Left iliac region

3. Common medical equipment

   • Syringe - used for injections
   • X-ray machine - medical imaging that can see through tissue but not bone
   • Ultrasound machine - medical imaging that uses sound waves and can see organs