Chapter 2: Terms Pertaining to the
Body as a Whole
In this chapter you will
1. Define terms that apply to the
structural organization of the body.
2. Identify the body cavities and
recognize the organs contained within
those cavities.
3. Locate and identify the anatomical and
clinical divisions of the abdomen.
In this chapter you will
4. Become acquainted with terms that
describe positions, directions, and
planes of the body.
4. Identify meanings for new word
elements and use them to understand
new medical terms.
Structural Organization of the Body
Major Parts of a Cell (p. 32)
Types of Cells (p. 36)
Muscle cell
Nerve cell
Epithelial cell
Fat cell
Tissues
 A group of similar cells working together to do
a specific job
– Epithelial tissue – all tissues that cover the
outside of the body and line the inner
surfaces of internal organs.
– Muscle Tissue
– Connective tissue – fat, cartilage, bone,
blood.
– Nerve tissue
Organs
 Structures composed of several kinds of
tissue
– Heart
– Stomach
 Viscera: internal organs
Systems
 Groups of organs working together to
perform complex functions
– Cardiovascular System
– Digestive System
1. Cranial Cavity – page 39
 Brain
 Pituitary gland
Cranial
Cavity
2. Thoracic Cavity – page 39
 Pleural Cavity
– Lungs
 Mediastinum
– Heart
– Esophagus
– Trachea
– Bronchial tubes
– Thymus gland
– Aorta
Thoracic
Cavity
Diaphragm
 separates the
thoracic and
abdominal cavities
3. Abdominal Cavity – page 39
 Stomach
 Small and large
intestines
 Spleen
 Pancreas
 Liver
 Gallbladder
Abdominal
Cavity
4. Pelvic Cavity – page 39
 Portions of the small
and large intestines
 Rectum
 Organs of the urinary
system
 Organs of the
reproductive system
Pelvic
Cavity
5. Spinal Cavity – page 39
 Nerves of the spinal
cord
Spinal
Cavity
Dorsal (posterior) Cavities
 Cavities in the back
of the body
– Cranial
– Spinal
Ventral (anterior) Cavities
 Cavities in the front
of the body
– Thoracic
– Abdominal
– Pelvic
Abdominopelvic Regions (p. 44)
 R&L Hypochondriac
 Epigastric
 R&L Lumbar
 Umbilical
 R&L Inguinal
 Hyopgastric
Abdominopelvic Quadrants (p. 45)
 Right Upper
– Gallbaldder
– Liver
Right lobe
– Parts of
Pancreas
Small Intestines
Large Intestines
Abdominopelvic Quadrants (p. 45)
 Left Upper
– Stomach
– Liver
Left lobe
– Parts of
Pancreas
Small Intestines
Large Intestines
Abdominopelvic Quadrants (p. 45)
 Right Lower
– R ovary
– R fallopian tube
– Appendix
– R ureter
– Parts of
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Abdominopelvic Quadrants (p. 45)
 Left Lower
– L ovary
– L fallopian tube
– L ureter
– Parts of
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Divisions of the back and spinal
column (p. 46)
Cervical (7)
Thoracic (12)
Lumbar (5)
Sacral (5)
Coccygeal (4)
Positional and Directional Terms (p. 48)
Planes of the Body (p. 48-49)
Planes of the Body (p. 48-49)
1. Frontal (coronal) Plane
 Vertical plane
 Divides the body
into
– anterior
– posterior
Frontal
(Coronal)
Plane
2. Sagittal (lateral) Plane
 Vertical plane
 Divides the body
or structure into
– right side
– left side
Sagittal
(Lateral)
Plane
3. Transverse (cross-sectional) Plane
 Horizontal plane
 Divides the body
or structure into
– upper half
– lower half
Transverse
(cross-sectional)
Plane
Chapter 2
Terms Pertaining to the
Body as a Whole
Pages 50-53
abdominal
 abdomin/o: abdomen
 -al
 Pertaining to the abdomen
adipose
 adip/o: fat
 -ose: pertaining to
 Pertaining to fat
anterior
 anter/o: front
 -ior: pertaining to
 Pertaining to the
front
anabolism
 ana-: up
 bol/o: to cast (throw)
 -ism: process
 Process of casting up
– The building-up or synthesizing
process in a cell.
cervical
 cervic/o: neck
 -al
 Pertaining to the
neck
chondroma
 chondr/o: cartilage
 -oma
 Tumor of cartilage
– Benign
chondrosarcoma
 chondr/o
 Sarc/o: flesh
 -oma
 Flesh tumor of cartilage
– Malignant
chromosomes
 chrom/o: color
 -some: body
 Color bodies
– They absorb the color of dyes used to stain
the cell
– Contain genetic material
– Located in the nucleus
coccygeal
 coccyg/o: coccyx
 -al
 Pertaining to the
Coccyx (tailbone)
craniotomy
 crani/o: skull
 -tomy
 Incision of the skull

cytoplasm
 cyt/o
 -plasm: formation
 Formation (contents) of the cell
distal
 dist/o: far, distant
 -al
 Pertaining to far
– From the
beginning of a
structure
dorsal
 dors/o: back
 -al
 Pertaining to the back
histology
 hist/o: tissue
 -logy
 Study of tissues
iliac
 ili/o: ilium
 -ac
 Pertaining to the
ilium, part of the
pelvic bone.
inguinal
 inguin/o: groin
 -al
 Pertaining to the groin
karyotype
 kary/o: nucleus
 -type: classification,
picture
 Picture or
classification of the
nucleus
– And its
chromosomes
lateral
 later/o: side
 -al
 Pertaining to the
side
lumbosacral
 lumb/o: lower back
 sacr/o: sacrum
 -al
 Pertaining to the lower back and sacrum
medial
 medi/o: middle
 -al
 Pertaining to the middle
nucleic
 nucle/o: nucleus
 -ic
 Pertaining to the nucleus
pelvic
 pelv/o: hip, pelvic cavity
 -ic
 Pertaining to the hip or pelvic cavity
posterior
 poster/o: back
 -ior
 Pertaining to the
back
proximal
 proxim/o: near
 -al
 Pertaining to near
– A structure
sacral
 sacr/o: sacrum
 -al
 Pertaining to the
sacrum
sarcoma
 sarc/o
 -oma
 Tumor of flesh
– malignant
spinal
 spin/o: spine
 -al
 Pertaining to the
spine
epithelial cell
 epi thel/o: nipple
 -al
 Pertaining to upon a nipple
– Skin cell
thoracic
 thorac/o: chest
 -ic
 Pertaining to the chest
thoracotomy
 thorac/o
 -tomy
 Incision of the chest.

tracheal
 trache/o: trachea
 -al
 Pertaining to the
trachea
umbilical
 umbilic/o: navel
 -al
 Pertaining to the navel
ventral
 ventr/o: belly side of the body
 -al
 Pertaining to the belly side of the body
vertebral
 vertebr/o: vertebrae
 -al
 Pertaining to
vertebrae
visceral
 viscer/o: internal organs
 -al
 Pertaining to internal organs
anabolic
 ana bol/o
 -ic
 Pertaining to casting up
– building up substances (proteins) in
the cell
catabolism
 cata-: down
 bol/o
 -ism
 Process of casting down
– breaking down material in the cell to
release energy
– Mitichondria
epigastric
 epi gastr/o
 -ic
 Pertaining to
above the
stomach
hypochondriac regions
 hypo chondr/o
 -iac
 Pertaining to below
(rib) cartilages
intervertebral
 inter-: between
 vertebr/o
 -al
 Pertaining to
between the
vertebrae
metabolism
 meta-: change
 bol/o
 -ism
 Process of casting change
– Anabolism and catabolism