Medical Terminology
Above a body part or nearer to the head.
Superior
Lying face up.
Supine
Closer to or on the skin.
Superficial
Part of a term that appears before a word root, changing the meaning of the term.
Prefix
Below a body part or nearer to the feet.
Inferior
A body part or condition that appears on both sides of the midline.
Bilateral
An inclined position in which the head of the bed is raised.
Fowler Position
The front surface of the body; the side facing you in the standard anatomic position.
Anterior
The part of a term that comes after the word root, at the end of the term.
Suffix
Parts of the body that lie closer to the midline; also called inner structures.
Medial
The anterior surface of the body.
Ventral
Lying face down.
Prone
The bottom surface of the foot.
Plantar
The vowel used to combine two word roots or a word root and suffix.
Combining Vowel
The straightening of a joint.
Extension
The bending of a joint.
Flexion
Motion of a limb away from the midline.
Abduction
The back surface of the body; the side away from you in the standard anatomic position.
Posterior
The main part of a term that contains the primary meaning.
Word root
Parts of the body that lie farther from the midline; also called outer structures.
Lateral
The posterior surface of the body, including the back of the hand.
Dorsal
Motion of a limb toward the midline.
Adduction
The forward-facing part of the hand in the anatomic position.
Palmar
Farther from the trunk or nearer to the free end of the extremity.
Distal
The sections of the abdominal cavity, in which two imaginary lines intersect at the umbilicus, dividing the abdomen into four equal areas.
Quadrants