Anatomical terminology

Terms from the medical field which apply to massage therapy originate from Latin and Greek languages. Nearly 2000 years ago as Western civilization began studying the anatomy of the human body, the medical terms reflect these languages and still remain the source for the terminology. In the past these names came from the person who first discovered them or there functions. Currently, words are being renamed to imply the position or function of its structure. 

Medical terminology is constructed of root words, prefixes and suffixes. flash_cards.jpg

To easier break down the terminology think of the first word as the location of the structure. The second word is usually a noun and places a name on its structure.

  • Prefixes of the terms are syllables which are added in front of the root word allowing it further definition.  

 

Word part Definition Example
1.       A Absent, without, away from Abacterial
2.       Ab Away from abduction
3.       Ad To, toward Adduction
4.       Ambi Both Ambidextrous
5.       A; an Without Atypical
6.       Anti Against Antibody, andtidote
7.       Ante Before Anterior
8.       Bi Two Biceps
9.       Bio Life Biology
10.   Carcino Cancer Carcinogenic
11.   Circum Around Circumvent
12.   Co With, together Cooperate
13.   Contr Against, counter to contraindicate
14.   De Down, from Descend
15.   Di Two Dissect
16.   Dis Apart or away from Dislocate
17.   Dors Back Dorsal
18.   Dys Abnormal, impaired Dysfunction
19.   E Out,from Emetic
20.   Ect Outside,without Ectoplasm
21.   End-(o) Inside, within Endoderm
22.   Epi Upon, over, in addition Epimysium
23.   Ex Out of Exit, excrete
24.   Extra Beyond, ouside of , in addition Extracellular
25.   Flex Bent Flexion
26.   Front Front, forehead Frontalis
27.   Hemi Half Hemiplegic
28.   Hetero The other Heterosexual
29.   Hom Common, same Homogenouos
30.   Hydro Denoting water Hydrotherapy
31.   Hyper Above, extreme

hypertensive