Medical Term Chapter 4

coccyx

5th segment of the vertebral colum. located at the very end of the vertebral column also called the tailbone.

midline

Divides the body into left and right sides. May be referred to as the long axis of the body.Distributes the weight of the body equally on both sides.

anaplasia

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

aplasia

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

invertebral disk

a flat, circular, plate-like structure of cartilage that serves as a cushion (shock absorber) between the vertebrae.

transverse plane

a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions

frontal plane (coronal)

a vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions

dysplasia

abnormal development or growth of cells, tissues, or organs (disordered formation)

superior

above or upward toward the head.

hyperplasia

an increase in the number of cells of a body part (excessive formation)

skeletal muscle

attached to bone and is responsible for movement of the skeleton

deep

away from the surface and toward the inside of the body

dorsum

back surface of a part; in the foot, the top of the foot

inferior

below or downward toward the tail or feet

nucleus

central controlling part of the body within the living cell enclosed within the cell membrane. ex. made up of threadlike structures like DNA

lumbar vertebrae

consists of 5 large segments of the movable part of the spinal column. L1-L5

cervical vertebrae

consists of the first seven segments of the spinal column. Makes up the bones of the neck. C1-C7

thoracic vertebrae

consists of the next 12 segments. Makes up the vertebral bones of the chest. T1-T12

dorsal cavity

contains organs of the back side of the body

cranial cavity

contains the brain

abdominal cavity

contains the liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, pancreas, intestines and kidneys. It is separated from the thoracic cavity by the diaphragm.

thoracic cavity

contains the lungs, heart, aorta, esophagus, and trachea.

spinal cavity

contains the nerves of the spinal cord

pelvic cavity

contains urinary bladder and reproductive organs.

lysosomes

contains various types of enzymes that function in intracellular digestion. Destroy bacteria which enters by digesting them

Epithelial tissue

covers the internal and external organs of the body. It also lines the vessels, body cavities, glands and body organs.

midsagittal plane (median)

divides the body into equal right and left sides

distal

farthest from the point of origin of a body part

tissue

group of similar cells that perform specialized functions

ventral cavity

includes the front of the body (thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities)

smooth muscle

known as visceral muscle which is found in the walls of the hollow internal organs of the body (stomach and intestines)

sacrum

located below the lumbar vertebrae, 4th segment of the spinal column. Single triangular shaped bone.

epigastric region (region 2)

located between region 1 and region 3 in the upper section of the abdomen, beneath the cartilage of the lower ribs. Includes right and left lobes of the liver and major portion of the stomach

left inguinal region (region 9)

located in the lower left section of the abdomen beaneath region 6. Includes portions of colon and small intestines.

hypogastric region (region 8)

located in the lower middle section of the abdomen, beneath region 5. includes the urinary bladder, portions of small intestines and the appendix.

right inguinal region (region 7)

located in the lower right section of the abdomen, beneath region 4. Includes small portion of the intestines and cecum.

left lumbar region (region 6)

located in the middle left section of the abdomen, beneath region 3. Includes portions of the small intestines and part of the colon

right lumbar region (region 4)

located in the middle right section of the abdomen, beneath region 1. Includes portions of large and small intestines.

umbilical region (region 5)

located in the middle section of the abdomen between region 4 and region 6 and directly beneath region 2. Includes portion of transverse colon and portions of the small intestines.

left hypochondriac region (region 3)

located in the upper left section of the abdomen, beneath the cartilage of the lower ribs . Includes small portion of the stomach and portion of large intestines.

right hypochondriac region (region 1)

located upper right section of the abdomen, beneath the cartilage of the lower ribs. Includes right lobe of liver and gallbladder.

prone

lying facedown on the abdomen

supine

lying horizontally on the back, faceup

cardiac muscle

makes up the muscular wall of the heart.

peritoneum

membrane covering the abdominal wall of the body and reflects over the contained viscera.

proximal

nearest to the point of origin of a body part

system

organs which work together to perform many functions of the entire body e.g digestive, reproductive, respiratory etc.

cranial

pertaining to the head

caudal

pertaining to the tail

Munro's point

point on the left side of the abdomen about halfway between the umbilicus and anterior bony prominence of the hip.

McBurney's point

point on the right side of the abdomen about 2/3 distance between the umbilicus and anterior bony prominence of the hip

ventral

position toward the belly of the body; frontward (anterior)

Muscle tissue

produces movement of parts and organs of the body through contraction and relaxation of it fibers.

mitochondria

provides energy needed by the cell to carry on its essential functions.

abdominopelvic cavity

refers to the space between the diaphragm and the groin.

RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ

right upper quadrants, left upper quadrants, right lower quadrants, left lower quadrants.

genes

segments or regions in the chromosome that transmit hereditary characteristics.

cell membrane

semipermeable barrier that is the outer layer covering of a cell

organelles

small structures in the cytoplasm that do special jobs.

plantar

sole or bottom of the foot

histologists

specialists in the study of tissues

anatomical position

standard position in which the body is facing forward, feet are parallel, and the arms are at the sides with palms facing forward

cytoplasm

surrounds the nucleus of the cell. Gel-like substance with cell organs (organelles) that carries out essential functions.

ribosomes

synthesizes proteins and are often called the cell's "protein factories"

dorsal

the back (posterior)

posterior

the back of the body

anterior

the front of the body or toward the belly of the body

neoplasia

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

cytology

the study of cells

superficial

the surface of the body or near the surface

membrane

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

chromosomes

thread like structures within the nucleus that control the function of growth, repair and reproduction for the body.

connective tissue

tissue that holds organs in place and binds different parts of the body together. They may be liquid (blood), fatty (protective padding), fibrous (tendons and ligaments), cartilage (rings of trachea), solid (bone).

organ

tissues arranged together to perform a special function. e.g. liver, spleen, stomach and ovaries

medial

toward midline of the body.

lateral

toward the side of the body, away from the midline

Nervous tissue

transmit impulses throughout the body, thereby activating, coordinating, and controlling many functions of the body.

pronation

turning the palm downward

supination

turning the palm upward

hypoplasia

underdevelopment of an organ because of a decrease in the number of cells