Decode unfamiliar words instead of memorizing them as giant strings. This vocabulary is the language used throughout anatomy, pathology, kinesiology and documentation.
Prefix comes before the root and modifies meaning. Root/combining form carries the central meaning. Suffix comes at the end and often identifies a condition, process or procedure. A combining vowel, commonly o, helps connect parts.
Example: oste/o/arthr/itis → bone + joint + inflammation.
| hyper- | above/excessive | hypertension |
| hypo- | below/deficient | hypoglycemia |
| brady- | slow | bradycardia |
| tachy- | fast | tachycardia |
| peri- | around | periosteum |
| endo- | within | endocrine |
| epi- | upon/above | epidermis |
| sub- | under | subcutaneous |
| intra- | within | intramuscular |
| inter- | between | intercostal |
| -itis | inflammation |
| -osis | condition/abnormal condition |
| -algia | pain |
| -pathy | disease/disorder |
| -emia | blood condition |
| -ectomy | surgical removal |
| -otomy | incision/cutting into |
| -megaly | enlargement |
| -plegia | paralysis |
| -paresis | weakness/partial paralysis |
my/o muscle · oste/o bone · arthr/o joint · neur/o nerve · derm/dermat/o skin · cardi/o heart · angi/o vessel · hemat/o blood · lymph/o lymph · pneum/o, pulmon/o lung · gastr/o stomach · hepat/o liver · nephr/o, ren/o kidney · cephal/o head · cervic/o neck/cervix depending context.
Standard anatomical position: standing upright, head/eyes forward, feet directed forward, arms at sides with palms facing anteriorly. Directional language assumes this reference even if the client is prone or supine.
| Superior / inferior | toward head / toward feet |
| Anterior / posterior | front / back |
| Medial / lateral | toward / away from midline |
| Proximal / distal | nearer / farther from trunk or point of origin |
| Superficial / deep | closer to / farther from body surface |
| Ipsilateral / contralateral | same side / opposite side |
Sagittal: divides left/right; flexion-extension commonly occurs here. Frontal/coronal: divides anterior/posterior; abduction-adduction commonly occurs here. Transverse: divides superior/inferior; rotation commonly occurs here.
Dorsal cavity: cranial and vertebral/spinal cavities. Ventral cavity: thoracic plus abdominopelvic cavities. The diaphragm separates thoracic from abdominopelvic regions. The thoracic cavity includes pleural cavities and mediastinum; the abdominopelvic cavity is divided conceptually into abdominal and pelvic regions.
RUQ: much of liver/gallbladder region. LUQ: stomach/spleen region. RLQ: cecum/appendix region. LLQ: descending/sigmoid colon region. Organs can cross quadrants, so these are clinical mapping conventions, not sealed boxes.
Prone: face down. Supine: face up. Side-lying: on one side. Fowler/semi-Fowler: upper body elevated. Position choice can be therapeutic and safety-related, especially with pregnancy, reflux, respiratory difficulty or mobility limitations.
brady = slow; cardia = heart → unusually slow heart rate.
neur = nerve; pathy = disorder/disease → disorder affecting nerves.
dermat = skin; itis = inflammation → inflammation of skin.
hypo = low; glyc = sugar/glucose; emia = blood condition → low blood glucose.
splen = spleen; megaly = enlargement → enlarged spleen.