Anatomical terminology, The key to learning anatomy
Anatomical terminology is a form of scientific terminology used by anatomists, zoologists, and health professionals such as doctors, physicians, and pharmacists. Read the article to know more.
Nivedita Dar8 May, 2024
Anatomical terminology What it is and how to master it.
Anatomy is just a language which we need to learn in order to understand the structure of our body and how it functions. The content becomes very easy to understand if you know how to beak the word into different parts that have meanings( prefixes and suffixes).So why do we need a terminology?
The answer is Yes you guessed it right that is “ Standardization”. If a surgeon from India wants to convey to a surgeon in America what’s the position of a mass in a patient’s abdomen the need for a standard means of communication of medical terms becomes apparent.So how we did it?
Well the responsibility for doing this ginormous task was taken by The International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) . This organisation maintains a dictionary of sort with name Terminologia Anatomica . It contains terminology for about 7500 humans gross( macroscopic) anatomical structures. So yes a humongous task.So What we have in Anatomical terminology?
Anatomical Position
Anatomical terms used to describe location are based on a body positioned in what is called the standard anatomical position .Anatomical Regions
In terms of Anatomy body is divided into regions. For examples in the front, the trunk is referred to as the "thorax" and "abdomen".Planes
Anatomy is often described in planes , referring to two-dimensional sections of the body. A plane is an imaginary two-dimensional surface that passes through the body. There are three planes commonly referred to In anatomy and medicine Phew! It’s already too much and we barely scratched the surface of anatomical terminology. It not only standardises structure but also movements at joints. the location of mucles, body cavities and many more things. So you can appreciate now how complex is human body that we needed to develop a dictionary for it.Anatomical terminology FAQs
So why Ancient Greek and Latin is used to derive terms for anatomical terminology?
Because it’s a language of dead. Nobody speaks Greek and Latin so there are no new additions or changes in meaning of words ,it’s pretty safe to use.
What is standard anatomical position?
Just as maps are normally oriented with north at the top, the standard body "map", or anatomical position, is that of the body standing upright, with the feet at shoulder width and parallel, toes forward. The upper limbs are held out to each side, and the palms of the hands face forward.
What is the difference between rostral and cephalic?
Both of these terms denote skull but rostrum term is used mainly in embryology rest in other places cephalic is used.
What does brachii denotes in biceps brachii?
Brachii denotes the arm region in biceps brachii, so anatomical terminology helps you to name muscles too depending on the location.
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