Anatomy & Physiology
Introduction and
Terminology
Morehead State University
Definitions
• Anatomy
• Science that deals with
the form and structure
of all organisms
• Physiology
• Study of integrated
functions of the body
and the functions of all
its parts
• Systems, organs, tissues,
cells, cell components
• Gross Anatomy
• Study of organs, parts,
and structures that are
visible with the unaided
eye
• Also called macroscopic
anatomy
• Comparative Anatomy
• Study of structures of
various species of
animals with emphasis
on those characteristics
that aid in classification
• Embryology
• Study of the
developmental anatomy,
covering the period from
conception (fertilization
of the egg) to birth
• Microscopic Anatomy
(histology)
• Study of tissues and cells
that can only be seen
with the aid of a
microscope
Nomenclature for Systematic Anatomy
System
Name of Study
Chief Structures
Skeletal
Osteology
Bones
Aritcular
Arthrology
Joints
Muscular
Myology
Muscles
Digestive
Splanchnology
Stomach and Intestines
Respiratory
Splanchnology
Lungs and airways
Urinary
Splanchnology
Kidneys and urinary bladder
Reproductive
Splanchnology
Ovaries and testes
Endocrine
Endocrinolgy
Ductless Glands
Nervous
Neurology
Brain, spinal cord, nerves
Circulatory
Cardiology
Heart and vessels
Sensory
Esthesiology
Eye and ear
Anatomy of Terms
• Prefix
• Beginning of word
• Usually indicates #,
location, time, or status
• Root
• Essential meaning of word
• Combining Vowel
• Single vowel added to end
of word, usually to make
the word easier to
pronounce
• Combining form
• Root and combining vowel
• Suffix
• End of word
• Usually indicates
procedure, condition,
disease, or disorder
Prefix
• Added to root of a word to modify the meaning
• Pre• Before
• Ex. Preoperative (before an operation)
• Peri• Around
• Ex. Perioperative (pertains to the period surrounding an
operation; either before, during or after)
• Post• After
• Ex. Postoperative (after operation)
Combining Vowel
• Added to make a medical term easier to
pronounce
• Used when suffix begins with a consonant
• i.e. –scope (arthroscope=examines the joint)
• “O” is most common, but “I, E” is also used
• Not used when suffix begins with vowel
• i.e. –it is (gastritis=inflammation of stomach)
• ALWAYS used when 2+ root words are joined
• Gastr/o (stomach) joined with enter/o (small intestine)
• =gastroenteritis
• NOT used between prefix and root words
Combining Forms
• Root word + combining
vowel
• Usually used to describe
a part of the body
• Creates new words when
added to prefixes, other
combining forms, and
suffixes
• Ex. Panleukopenia
• Pan• prefix meaning all
• Leuk/o
• Combining form meaning
white (root word and
combining vowel)
• -penia
• A suffix meaning
deficiency or reduction in
number
• Panleukopenia then means
a deficiency in all white
blood cells
Suffixes
• Attached to the end of a word part to modify its meaning
• Ex. Combining form gastr/o means stomach
• Modifications:
• -tomy – cutting into or incision (gastrotomy=incision into the
stomach)
• -stomy – surgically created opening (gastrostomy=surgically created
opening between stomach and body surface)
• -ectomy – surgical removal or excision (gastrectomy=surgical removal
of the stomach)
Analyzing Medical
Terminology
• Dissect
• Look at the word
structure and divide it
into basic components
• Begin at the END
• After dividing the
word:
• Define the suffix
• Define the prefix
• Define the roots
• If two, divide and read
left to right
• Examples:
• Gastroenteritis
• gastr/o –
• enter –
• itis-
• Overiohysterectomy
• ovario/o• hyster
• -ectomy
A
B
D
E
C
F
E
D
Positional Terms
• Cranial
• Towards the head
• Caudal
• Towards the tail
• Ventral
• Belly or underside or a
body or body part
• Dorsal
• Back
• Front of leg/paw
• Rostral
• Nose end of head
• Proximal
• Nearest the mid-line or
nearest the beginning of
a structure
• Distal
• Farthest from mid-line
or farthest from the
beginning of a structure
More Positional Terms
• Anterior
• Front of the body
• Used more in description of
organs or body parts
because front and rear are
confusing terms in
quadrupeds as their bellies
are down not in front like in
humans
• Posterior
• Rear of the body
• Medial
• Towards the midline
• Lateral
• Away from the midline
• Superior
• Uppermost, above, or
towards the head. Used
most commonly in bipeds
• Inferior
• Lowermost, below or
towards the tail. Used most
commonly in bipeds
One More Positional…
• Superficial
• Near the surface
• Also called external
• Deep
• Away from the surface
• Also called internal
• Palmar (A)
• Planter (B)
• Caudal surface of the paw
(rear paw) including the
tarsus
• Means sole of foot in Latin
• Basically means back of foot
/paw in rear limb
• Caudal surface of the
manus (front paw) including
the carpus
• Means hollow of hand in
Latin
• Basically, back legs/paws in
front legs
A
B
Plainer Terms
Plainer Terms
• Median Plane
• Divides the body into
EQUAL left and right halves
• Sagittal Plane
• Parallel to median plane
but doesn’t divide the
body into equal parts
• Transverse Plane
• At right angles to the
median plane and divides
body into cranial and
caudal segments
• Cross-section of body
would be on transverse
plane
• Ex. Cinch on a saddle
• Horizontal Plane
• At right angles to both
median and transverse
planes
• Divides body into dorsal
and ventral segments
• Ex. Cow walks into water up
to chest…the water surface
is a horizontal plane in
relation to the cow
Species Terminology
• Canine (Dog)
• Dog/stud
• Intact male dog
• Bitch
• Intact female dog
• Whelp (pup)
• Young dog
• Whelping
• Giving birth to whelps
• Pack
• Group of dogs
• Litter
• Multiple offspring born
during same labor
• Feline (Cat)
• Tom
• Intact male cat
• Queen
• Intact female cat
• Kitten
• Young cat
• Queening
• Giving birth to kittens
• Psittacine (parrots and
other birds with seed
cracking bills)
• Lagomorph (Rabbits)
• Buck
• Intact male rabbit
• Doe
• Intact female rabbit
• Lapin
• Neutered male rabbit
• Murine (mice and rats)
• Sire
• Intact male mouse or rat
• Dam
• Intact female mouse or rat
• Pup
• Young mouse or rat
• Chickens (poultry)
• Rooster
• Sexually mature male chicken
(also called a cock)
• Hen
• Intact female chicken
• Poult
• Young chicken
• Chick
• Very young chicken
• Flock
• Group of chickens
• Porcine – Swine (pigs)
• Boar
• Intact male pig
• Sow
• Intact female pig
• Barrow
• Male pig castrated when young
• Stag
• Male pig castrated after maturity
• Gilt
• Young female pig that has not
farrowed
• Pig or piglet
• Young pig; old term is shoat
• Farrowing
• Giving birth to pigs
• Herd
• Group of pigs
• Equine (horses, ponies)
• Stallion
• Intact male > 4 yrs old
• Mare
• Intact female > 4 yrs old
• Filly
• Intact female <4 yrs old
• Gelding
• Castrated male
• Foal
• Young equine (either sex)
• Weanling
• Young equine < 1 yr old
• Foaling
• Giving birth to equine
• Herd
• Group of equine
• Band
• Group of horses consisting of
one mature stallion and
female offspring of his mares
• Brood Mare
• Breeding female
• Maiden mare
• Female equine never bred
• Barren mare (open mare)
• Intact female not bred or
didn’t conceive previous
season
• Donkey/ Burro
• Jack
• Intact male donkey
• Jenny
• Intact female donkey
• Caprine (Goat)
• Buck
• Intact male
• Doe
• Intact female
• Wether
• Castrated male
• Kid
• Young goat
• Kidding
• Giving birth to goats
• Herd
• Group of goats
• Ovine (sheep)
• Ram
• Intact male
• Ewe
• Intact female
• Wether
• Castrated male
• Lamb
• Young sheep
• Lambing
• Giving birth to sheep
• Flock
• Group of sheep
• Camelid (llamas,
alpacas)
• Cavey (guinea pigs)
• Bovine (Cattle)
• Bull
• Intact male
• Cow
• Intact female that has given birth
• Heifer
• Young female that has never given birth
• Steer
• Male castrated when young
• Calf
• Offspring
Classification of Animals
Domestic Animals
Animal
• Genus
• (upper case)
• Species
• (lowercase)
Species Name
Horse (equine)
Equus caballus
Ox (bovine)
Bos taurus (european)
Bos indicus (indian / brahma)
Goat (caprine)
Capra hircus
Sheep (ovine)
Ovis aries
Pig (swine)
Sus scrofa domestica
Cat (feline)
Felis catus
Dog (canine)
Canis familaris
Classifying Animals with hooves
• Ungulate (means
hoof)
•
•
•
•
•
Horse
Ox
Goat
Sheep
Pig
• Number of Toes
• Artiodactyla (even # toes)
•
•
•
•
Ox
Goat
Sheep
Pig
• Perissodactyla (odd # toes)
• horse
Classifying Based on Digestive Systems
• Carnivores
• Dog
• Cat
• Herbivores
• Ruminants
• Ox
• Goat
• Sheep
• Non-Ruminants
• Horse
• Rabbit
• Omnivore
• Pig
• Monogastric