Medical Terminology

• anatomy - the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organism and their parts.  
• physiology - the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. 
• cytology - studies the structure, function, and behaviour of cells.
• 1. histology - also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy; studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues.
• pathology - the study of disease and injury, including the causes, effects, and treatment of disease
• midsagittal plane - the median plane divides the body into two parts. 
• sagittal plane - a vertical plane that passes through the body longitudinally. It divides the body into a left and right section.
• 1. coronal (frontal) plane, a vertical plane that also passes through the body longitudinally but perpendicular (at a right angle) to the sagittal plane. It divided the body into a front (anterior) section and a back (posterior) section. 
• transverse plane - a horizontal plane. It is perpendicular to both the sagittal and coronal planes and parallel to the ground. 
• Vertical plane, Horizontal plane, coronal plane, or frontal plane (vertical) divides the body into dorsal and ventral (back and front, or posterior and anterior) portions. The transverse plane or axial plane (horizontal) divides the body into cranial and caudal (head and tail) portions.
•  plane midsagittal, the median plane divides the body into two parts. 
• coronal (frontal) plane, a vertical plane that also passes through the body longitudinally but perpendicular (at a right angle) to the sagittal plane. It divided the body into a front (anterior) section and a back (posterior) section. 
• Word root - the root of a medical word and is usually a body part. 
• suffix - adds information to the root word to provide additional details about a procedure, condition, or medical process. 
• prefix - indicates a location, direction, type, quality, or quantity. 
• Sign - something found during a physical exam or as a result of a laboratory or imaging test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. Ex. fever, swelling, and skin rash
• symptom - something a person feels or experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Ex. pain, nausea, and fatigue
• syndrome - a complex of symptoms and physical findings that indicate a specific condition for which a direct cause is not necessarily understood. Ex. sick building syndrome
• objective - visible and measurable findings obtained by a medical examination, tests, or diagnostic imaging.  Ex. a broken leg 
• subjective - unreliable information that comes from opinions, perceptions, or experiences
• diagnosis - determining the nature of disease or disorder and distinguishing it from other possible conditions. Ex. Alzheimer’s disease
• prognosis - the chance of recovery or recurrence.  Ex. If the patient’s cancer is caught early, there is a chance that he/she will recover. 
• acute - symptoms or signs that begin and worsen quickly. Ex. flu and broken bones 
• chronic - health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. Ex. heart disease, cancer, and diabetes
• remission - a decrease or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer. Ex. if a patient has lung cancer that's in complete remission, their symptoms will have improved and their computed tomography (CT) scan will show the cancer has disappeared
• 1. ventral - About the front or anterior of any structure. The ventral surfaces of the body include the chest, abdomen, shins, palms, and soles.
• 1. dorsal - Relating to the back or posterior of a structure. Some of the dorsal surfaces of the body are the back, buttocks, calves, and the knuckle side of the hand.
• 1. anterior - means "in front of" or "the front surface of." It usually refers to the front side of the body.
• 1. posterior - meaning "coming after", refers to the back side of things.
• 1. superior - toward the head end of the body; upper.
• 1. inferior - away from the head; lower.
• cephalic - Relating to the head or the head end of the body.
• 1. caudal - towards the tail or away from the head-end of the body. 
• proximal - toward or nearest the trunk or the point of origin of origin
• 1. distal - away from or farthest from the trunk or the point or the point or origin of a part
• medial - toward the midline of the body.
• 1. lateral - away from the midline of the body.
• 1. Cranial cavity - the anterior portion of the dorsal cavity consisting of the space inside the skull. This cavity contains the brain, the meninges of the brain, and cerebrospinal fluid.

   
• 1. spinal cavity - the hollow chamber on the inside of the spinal column in which the spinal cord is located.
• 1. thoracic cavity - the anterior ventral body cavity found within the rib cage in the torso. It houses the primary organs of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems such as the heart and lungs, but also includes organs from other systems, such as the esophagus and the thymus gland.