| Abduction: |
A movement from a midline (as opposed to adduction) |
| Adduction: |
A movement toward a midline (as opposed to abduction) |
| Afferent: |
Conveying a fluid or a nerve impulse toward an organ or area (as opposed to efferent) |
| Ampulla: |
A sac like dilation of a canal |
| Analogous: |
Similar in function or appearance but having a different origin or structure (compared with homologous) |
| Anastomosis: |
A natural communication between two blood vessels |
| Anatomical Position: |
The body is upright with the arms and hands turned forward |
| Anomaly: |
A structure that is unusual or abnormal |
| Anterior: |
Towards the front of the body (as opposed to posterior) |
| Aponeurosis: |
A fibrous sheet of collagenous bundles serving as a connection between a muscle and its attachment |
| Articulation: |
A union between different bones. |
| Caudal: |
Toward the "tail"; inferior |
| Coronal Plane: |
A vertical plane at right angles to the sagittal plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior portions |
| Cranial: |
Relating to / or towards the skull/head |
| Deep: |
Away from the surface (as opposed to superficial) |
| Dermatome: |
An area of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve |
| Distal: |
Away from the point of origin of a structure (as opposed to proximal) |
| Dorsal: |
Relating to the back or posterior portion (as opposed to ventral) |
| Efferent: |
Conveying a fluid or a nerve impulse away from a central organ (as opposed to afferent) |
| Evaginate: |
To protrude from; an out-pouching, forming a sac or tube |
| Extension: |
A movement at a joint resulting in separation of two ventral surfaces (as opposed to flexion) |
| Fascia: |
Connective tissue lying beneath the skin enveloping muscle groups and various organs |
| Flexion: |
A movement at a joint resulting in approximation of two ventral surfaces (as opposed to extension) |
| Fistula: |
An abnormal communication between two organs |
| Foramen: |
A natural opening found primarily in a bone |
| Fossa: |
A pit or depression |
| Frontal Plane: |
Same as coronal plane |
| Ganglion: |
A collection of nerve cell bodies located outside the brain or spinal cord |
| Horizontal Plane: |
A transverse plane at right angle to the long axis of the body |
| Inferior: |
A term indicating that a given structure lies beneath another |
| Insertion: |
The site of an attachment of a muscle, tendon, or aponeurosis to bone |
| Lateral: |
Located away from the midline |
| Ligament: |
A band of fibrous connective tissue joining two bones |
| Lumen: |
Opening within a tubular organ or vessel |
| Meatus: |
A tube like opening within a bone |
| Medial: |
Situated close to or at the midline of the body or organ (as opposed to lateral) |
| Median: |
Centrally located, situated in the middle of the body |
| Motor: |
Denoting axons that convey impulses from the central nervous system to muscles or glands producing movement or secretion (as opposed to sensory) |
| Palpate: |
To examine by pressing or touching |
| Para: |
Prefix denoting along side or next to |
| Patent: |
Open or exposed |
| Peri: |
Around or surrounding an object |
| Plexus: |
A network of nerves or vessels |
| Posterior: |
Relating to the back or the dorsal aspect of the body (as opposed to
anterior) |
| Postganglionic: |
Situated distal to a ganglion |
| Preganglionic: |
Situated proximal to a ganglion |
| Prevertebral: |
In front of the vertebral column or vertebrae |
| Process: |
A marked prominence protruding from a bone marking site of attachment of muscles |
| Prone: |
Position of the body in which the ventral surface faces down (as opposed to supine) |
| Retro: |
Prefix meaning situated behind |
| Rotation: |
Move around a fixed axis |
| Sagittal Plane: |
A vertical plane extending in an antero-posterior direction dividing the body into right and left parts |
| Sensory: |
Axons conveying information from the periphery into the central nervous system (as opposed to motor) |
| Septum: |
A partition dividing two cavities or masses of soft tissue |
| Superficial: |
On or near the surface (as opposed to deep) |
| Superior: |
Above in relation to another structure; toward the head (as opposed to inferior) |
| Supine: |
Position of the body in which the ventral surface faces up (as opposed to prone) |
| Tendon: |
A fibrous band of dense regular connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone |
| Transverse Plane |
Same as horizontal plane |
| Tubercle: |
A small rounded elevation on a bone |
| Tuberosity: |
A relatively large protuberance from the surface of a bone |
| Valgus Position: |
Term relates to the alignment of segments of the upper and lower limbs. Position in which the distal bone is abducted with respect to the proximal bone. |
| Varus Position: |
Term relates to the alignment of segments of the upper and lower limbs. Position in which the distal bone is adducted with respect to the proximal bone. |
| Ventral: |
Refers to anterior part of body (as opposed to dorsal) |
