Anatomical terminology

Anatomical terminology is a specialized system of terms used by anatomists, zoologists, and health professionals, such as doctors, surgeons, and pharmacists, to describe the structures and functions of the body.

This terminology incorporates a range of unique terms, prefixes, and suffixes derived primarily from Ancient Greek and Latin.

While these terms can be challenging for those unfamiliar with them, they provide a level of precision that reduces ambiguity and minimizes the risk of errors.

Because anatomical terminology is not commonly used in everyday language, its meanings are less likely to evolve or be misinterpreted.

By using precise anatomical terms, such as "proximal," "distal," "palmar," or "dorsal," this ambiguity is eliminated, ensuring clear communication.

To standardize this system of terminology, Terminologia Anatomica was established as an international reference for anatomical terms.

Anatomical terminology follows a regular morphology, with consistent prefixes and suffixes are used to modify different roots.

The term cephalon or cephalic region refers to the head, which is further divided into the cranium (skull), facies (face), frons (forehead), oculus (eye area), auris (ear), bucca (cheek), nasus (nose), os (mouth), and mentum (chin).

For example: Additional terminology is used to describe the movement and actions of the hands and feet, and other structures such as the eyes.

International morphological terminology is used by the colleges of medicine and dentistry and other areas of the health sciences.

It facilitates communication and exchanges between scientists from different countries of the world and it is used daily in the fields of research, teaching and medical care.

The current international standard for human anatomical terminology is based on the Terminologia Anatomica (TA).

These standards specify generally accepted names that can be used to refer to histological and embryological structures in journal articles, textbooks, and other areas.

[9] Recently, the Terminologia Anatomica has been perceived with a considerable criticism regarding its content including coverage, grammar and spelling mistakes, inconsistencies, and errors.

This position is one in which a person is standing, feet apace, with palms forward and thumbs facing outwards.

The breast is also called the mammary region, the armpit as the axilla and axillary, and the navel as the umbilicus and umbilical.

The entire arm is referred to as the brachium and brachial, the front of the elbow as the antecubitis and antecubital, the back of the elbow as the olecranon or olecranal, the forearm as the antebrachium and antebrachial, the wrist as the carpus and carpal area, the hand as the manus and manual, the palm as the palma and palmar, the thumb as the pollex, and the fingers as the digits, phalanges, and phalangeal.

[1] The abdomen may be divided into four quadrants, more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersect at the patient's umbilicus (navel).

The right lower quadrant (RLQ) includes the right half of the small intestines, ascending colon, right pelvic bone and upper right area of the bladder.

Each movement at a synovial joint results from the contraction or relaxation of the muscles that are attached to the bones on either side of the articulation.

[11] Terms describing motion in general include: These terms refer to movements that are regarded as unique to the hands and feet:[14]: 590–7 Muscle action that moves the axial skeleton work over a joint with an origin and insertion of the muscle on respective side.

Muscles are often present that engage in several actions of the joint; able to perform for example both flexion and extension of the forearm as in the biceps and triceps respectively.

In pennate muscles, the individual fibers are oriented at an angle relative to the line of action, attaching to the origin and insertion tendons at each end.

Pennate muscles are usually found where their length change is less important than maximum force, such as the rectus femoris.

In turn, the tendons connect to the periosteum layer surrounding the bones, permitting the transfer of force from the muscles to the skeleton.

Muscles also run over symphysis, which allow for movement in for example the vertebral column by compression of the intervertebral discs.

Additionally, synovial joints can be divided into different types, depending on their axis of movement.

The anatomical position , with terms of relative location noted
The human body is shown in anatomical position in an anterior view and a posterior view. The regions of the body are labeled in boldface.
Abdominal regions are used for example to localize pain.
The three anatomical planes of the body: the sagittal, transverse (or horizontal), frontal planes
The biceps brachii flex the lower arm. The brachioradialis , in the forearm, and brachialis , located deep to the biceps in the upper arm, are both synergists that aid in this motion.
The skeletal muscles of the body typically come in seven different general shapes. This figure shows the human body with the major muscle groups labeled.
Serous membrane