The biomedical engineer works with the medical doctors, the nurses,the manufacturers and so on. In order to design new device for healthcare, basical understanding human body is prior. In order to find out the requirement of the special medical devices, therapy and so on, when we read the patents,journals, articles and so on and communicate with medical field people, it would be very helpful. In this chapter, fundamental anatomical terms and medical glossary would be introduced.
The body is composed of the head, trunk and limbs.
The trunk consists of the neck, thorax(chest) and abdomen (belly). The lowest part of the trunk is the perineum. The central axis of the trunk is the vertebral column, and the upper part of it(cervical part) supports the head.
The main parts of the upper limb are the arm, forearm and hand. Arm in anatomical form means the part between the shoulder and elbow. But, generally the arm means from the shoulder to before the hand.
The main parts of the lower limb are the thigh, leg and foot. Here also leg in anatomical term point out the part from knee to foot.But, generally the leg means from thigh to before the foot.
Anatomical Planes
For the positions of structure in human anatomy, the whole body should stand upright with the feet together and the head and eyes looking to the front with the arms straight by the side and the palms of the hands facing forwards.
The ‘Median plane’ is an virtual vertical longitudinal line through the middle of the body from front to back, dividing the body into right and left halves.
The ‘Coronal planes’ are imaginary planes at right angles to the median plane.
The 'Transverse plane' divides the body into head and tail portions.
Apathy (lack of feeling); apnea (without breath); aphasia (without speech)
Ab
Away from
Abductor (leading away from); aboral (away from mouth)
Ad
To, toward, near to
Adductor (leading toward); adhesion (sticking to); adnexia (structures joined to); adrenal (near the kidney)
Ambi,Amphi,Ampho
Both
Ambidextrous (ability to use hands equally); ambilaterally (both sides), Amphibious (living on both land and water), Amphogenic (producing offspring of both sexes)
Ana
Up, back, again, excessive
Anatomy (a cutting up); anagenesis (reproduction of tissue)
Ductal (suffix added to make adjective); oviduct (egguterine tube or fallopian tube); periductal (per means around); abduct (prefix meaning lead away from)
Phlebotomy (incision of vein); arthrotomy (joint); appendectomy (ectomy, meaning cut out excision of appendix); oophorectomy (excision of ovary); ileocecostomy (ostomy, meaning creation of an artificial opening, and os, pertaining to opening or mouth thus, an anastomosis of ileum and cecum)
Tropho
Nourish
Hypertrophy (enlargement or overnourishment); atrophy (undernourishment)
Volv
Turn
Volvulus (twisting of an organ, intestinal obstruction with twisting of bowel, or twisting of the esophagus)
Table of Combining Forms
Form
Meaning
Form
Meaning
Adeno –
gland
Adreno –
adrenal gland
Angio –
vessel
Ano –
anus
Arterio –
artery
Arthro –
joint
Balano –
glans penis
Blepharo –
eyelid
Broncho –
bronchus (windpipe)
Cantho –
canthus
Capit –
head
Cardi- or cardio –
heart
Carpo –
wrist
Cephalo –
head
Cerebello –
cerebellurn
Cerebro –
cerebrum
Cheilo –
lip
Chole –
bile
Chondro –
cartilage
Chordo –
cord or string
Cilia –
hair (Latin)
Cleido –
collarbone
Coccygo –
coccyx
Colpo –
vagina
Cordo –
cord
Coxa –
hip
Coccygo –
coccyx
Cranio –
head
Cysto –
sac, cyst, or bladder
Cyto –
cell
Dacryo –
tear
Dento- or donto –
tooth
Derma-
skin
Duodeno –
duodenum
Emia –
blood
Encephalo –
blood
Entero –
intestines
Fascia –
sheet or band of fibrous tissue
Fibro –
fibers
Gastro –
stomach
Genu –
knee
Gingivo –
gums
Glomerulo –
glomerulus
Glosso –
tongue
Gnatho –
jaw
Hallux –
great toe
Hem, hema,hemo, hemato –
blood
Hepato –
liver
Hilus –
pit or depression in an organ where vessels and nerves enter
A science of the structure of the body and the relationship of its constituent parts to each other.
Alveoli
Air sacs in the lungs formed at the terminals of a bronchiole.The thin membrance of the alveoli lets oxygen enter the blood stream.
Aorta
The largest artery in the body.It carries blood from heart to be distributed by branch arteries through the body.
Aortic valve
Outlet valve from left ventricle to the aorta.
Arrhythmia
An irregular heartbeat.The heart may beat too fast (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia)
Arteriole
A small diameter blood vessel in the microcirculation that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.
Artery
A vessel through which the blood is pumped away from the heart.
Atrio ventricular
Located between an atrium and ventricle of the heart.
Atrium
A main chamber of the heart into which blood returns from circulation
Auscultation
The term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope.
Axon
A nerve fibre in a neuron.
B
Words
Meaning
Bioelectricity
Electric potentials and currents produced by or occurring within living organisms.
Brachial
pertaining to the arm
Bradycardia
A slow heart rate.
Bronchus
A passage of airway in the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs.
Bundle of His
A small band of cardiac muscle fibers transmitting the wave of depolarization from the atria to the ventricles during cardiac contraction.
Bifurcation
The splitting of a main body into two parts. Branching as in blood vessel.
C
Words
Meaning
Capillaries
The smallest of a body's blood vessels system connecting arterioles with venules and forming or network throughout.
Cardiac
Having to do with the heart.
Cardiology
A medical special area dealing with disorders of the heart be it human or animal.
Cardiovascular
Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood vessels and carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues of the body and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes from them.
Catheter
a thin tube device extruded from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions.
Cell
The basic structural, functional and biological unit of all known living organisms.
Cerebellum
A region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions
Collagen
The major structural protein of the various connective tissues in animals.
Computerised Axial tomography (CAT)
Commonly known by its abbreviated name, CAT scan or CT scan. An x-ray procedure which combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views
Cortex
The outermost layered structure of neural tissue of the cerebrum (brain),
Cranium
The part of the skull that encloses the brain.
D
Words
Meaning
Defibrillation
A common treatment for life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation is composed of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the heart with a device called a defibrillator.
Diastole
The period of time when the heart refills with blood after systole (contraction).
Diastolic
Referring to the time when the heart is in a period of relaxation and expansion (dilatation).
Dicrotic
Relating or being to the second part of the arterial pulse occurring during diastole of the heart or of an arterial pressure recording made during the same period.
E
Words
Meaning
Electro cardiogram(ECG or EKG from Greek)
The recording of the electrical activity of the heart.
Embryo
An organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation, from fertilization to the beginning of the third month of pregnancy (in humans).
Enzyme
A protein secreted by cells that acts as a catalyst to induce chemical changes in other substances and itself remains unchanged
by the process.
Epilepsy
A disorder marked by disturbed electrical rhythms of the nervous system.
F
Words
Meaning
Fluoroscopy
A study of moving body structures—close to an X-ray
H
Words
Meaning
Hemorheology
The science of rheology of the blood, the relation of pressure,flow volume and resistance to blood vessels.
Heparin
A highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan which is used to prevent blood clots from forming in people who have certain medical conditions or who are undergoing certain medical procedures
Hormone
Our body's chemical messengers that is produced in all multicellular organisms by glands, and transported by the circulatory system to a distant target organ to control its physiology and behavior.
Hypoxia
A condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply.
I
Words
Meaning
Inferior vena cava(IVC)
also referred to as the posterior vena cava. A vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart.
In-vivo
Latin for "within the living".Often employed over in vitro because it is better suited for observing the overall effects of an experiment on a living subject.
Ischemic
also spelled as ischaemia or ischæmia.Supply to tissues, causing a shortage of oxygen and glucose needed for cellular metabolism (to keep tissue alive).
Isometric
Comes from the Greek for "having equal measurement".
Isotonic
Having equal tension. Having the same concentration of solutes as the blood. Physiology Of or involving muscular contraction in which the muscle remains under relatively constant tension while its length changes.
K
Words
Meanings
Korotkoff sounds
The blood flow sound that medical personnel listen for when they are taking blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure.
L
Words
Meanings
Latency
The time required to locate the first bit or character in a storage location, expressed as access time minus word time.
Liver
A vital organ of the digestive system present in vertebrates and some other animals
Lung
The important respiration organ
M
Words
Meaning
Membrane
A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.
Metabolism
All the chemical processes inside your body. It depends on your age, gender, muscle-to-fat ratio, the food you eat and physical activity. Your hormones and nervous system control your body’s metabolism.
Mitral valve
One of the heart's four valves, opens to allow blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle.
Motor
A muscle, nerve or centre that effects or producesmovement.
Myelin
An insulating layer, or sheath, that forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord. It is made up of protein and fatty substances.
Myocardium
The middle and thickest layer of the heart wall, composed of cardiac muscle.
Myograph
Any device used to measure the force produced by a muscle when under contraction.
N
Words
Meaning
Necrosis
The death of living cells or tissues. It occurs when there is not enough blood flowing to the tissue, whether from injury, radiation, or chemicals.
Nerve
Enclosed bundles of the long fibers or axons.The peripheral nervous system consists mainly of nerves.
Neuron
A neuron receives electrical input signals from sensory cells (called sensory neurons) and from other neurons and sends electrical output signals to muscle neurons (called motoneurons or motor neurons) and to other neurons.
O
Words
Meaning
Orthosis
An orthopedic appliance or apparatus used to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities or to improve function of movable parts of the body.
Oxyhaemoglobin
The combination of the red blood haemoglobin cells with the oxygen in the lungs.
P
Words
Meaning
Pathology
A field of medical science primarily concerning the examination of organs, tissues, and bodily fluids in order to make a diagnosis of disease.
Perfuse
To force a fluid through (an organ or tissue) especially by way of the blood vessels
Permeate
To spread or diffuse through
Pneumograph
Known as a pneumatograph or spirograph.A device for recording velocity and force of chest movements during respiration.
Prosthesis
An artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trauma, disease, or congenital conditions.
Protein
Macromolecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acid residues
Pulmonary
Relating to the lungs
Pulse pressure
The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure readings.
R
Words
Meaning
Radioisotope
An atom that has an unstable nucleus and emits radiation during its decay to a stable form.
Radiology
a medical field that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the body.
S
Words
Meanings
(Semilunar) pulmonary valve
A semilunar valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery; prevents blood from flowing from the artery back into the heart
Sinoatrial
Involving, or being the sinus node. Sinoatrial node indicates the heart's natural pacemaker, one of the major elements in the cardiac conduction system, the system that controls the heart rate.
Sphygmomanometer
An apparatus for measuring blood pressure, composed of an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure.
Spirometer
A device for measuring the volume of air inspired and expired by the lungs.
Spleen
An organ located just below your rib cage on your left side. It acts primarily as a blood filter.
Stenusis
An abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure.
Stroke volume
The amount of blood pumped out of the heart (left ventricle - to the body) during each contraction measured in mL/beat (millilitres per beat). It is calculated through measurements of ventricle volumes from an echocardiogram and subtracting the volume of the blood in the ventricle at the end of a beat (called end-systolic volume) from the volume of blood just prior to the beat (called end-diastolic volume). The stroke volume is not all the blood contained in the left ventricle; normally, only about two-thirds of the blood in the ventricle is expelled with each beat.
Superior vena cava
A large vein in the body that carries deoxygenated blood to the right atrium of the heart. It is also commonly referred to as the precava.
Systemic
Of or relating to an entire system. medical : Of, relating to, or affecting the entire body.
Systole
The time period when the heart is contracting. The period specifically during which the left ventricle of the heart contracts.
T
Words
Meaning
Tarso –
instep of foot; ankle (also edge of eyelid)
Teno,tenonto –
tendon
Thoraco –
thorax or chest
Thyro –
thyroid
Trachelo –
neck, particularly the neck of the uterus
Tracheo –
trachea
U
Words
Meaning
Unguis –
nail
Uretero –
ureter
Urethro –
urethra
Uro –
urine; urinary
Utero –
uterus
V
Words
Meaning
Vaso –
vessel
Veno –
vein
Ventriculo –
ventricle, either of heart or brain
Viscero –
viscera
Y
Z
Histology
Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues. All organs of the body are formed of tissues.
A tissue is a collection of similar type cells associated with some intercellular matrix (ground substance) controlled by
some laws of growth and development. These cells perform the same functions. Tissues are usually divided into four categories:muscle tissue, nervous tissue, connective tissue, and epithelial tissue.
Muscle tissue
Muscle structure
Muscle tissue is composed of "excitable" cells which can contract. Muscle tissue include a lot of microfilaments composed of actin and myosin, which are contractile proteins. There are three major types of muscle tissue:
Skeletal Muscle:It is attached to bones by tendons and associated with the body's voluntary movements. Skeletal muscle is striated muscle. Unlike cardiac muscle, the cells are not branched.
Visceral (Smooth) Muscle:It is found in many parts of the body such as the arteries, the bladder, the digestive tract and so on. Visceral muscle is also called smooth muscle as it doesn't have cross striations. Visceral muscle contracts slower than skeletal muscle, but the contraction can be continued for a longer period.
Cardiac muscle:It is so named because it is found in the heart. Cells are joined to one another by intercalated discs which allow the synchronization of the heart beat. Cardiac muscle is branched, striated muscle.
Nervous tissue
Nerve structure
Nervous tissue is specialized to sense stimuli and transmit signals to and from different parts of an organism. The nervous system is split into two parts. One is the central nervous system which includes the brain and spinal cord while the peripheral nervous system contains the cranial and spinal nervous and provides the communication between the CNS and the rest of the body.
Two main cell types are neurons and neuroglia. The neurons are the basic structural units of the nervous system. The neuroglia assist the propagation of the nerve impulse and provide nutrients to the neuron. Neurons transmit electricity through their plasma membrane and lose their ability to split once they commit to their roles (after birth). They last a life time and store memory. However, if they are destroyed they cannot be replaced. However with that said, you cannot avoid other parts of the brain to take over functions. Neurons also needs lots of oxygen and glucose and will die within 5 minutes without oxygen.
Nervous tissue is composed of various types of nerve cells, all of which having an axon, the long stem-like part of the cell that sends action potential signals to the next cell.
Nervous tissue is discussed more in Chapter 3.
Connective tissue
Connective tissue (CT) supports, connects, or separates various tissues and organs of the body. It is one of the four major type tissues—the others of which are epithelial, muscle, and nervous tissues. Connective tissue can be found everywhere in the body except the central nervous system.
408 Connective Tissue
Epithelial tissue
It is one of the four major types tissues. It is related to secretion, selective absorption, protection, transcellular transport and detection of sensation. In Greek ἐπί (epi) means "on" or "upon", and θηλή (thēlē) means "nipple".
Summary showing different epithelial cells/tissues and their characteristics.