2–22 The term medi/al is used to describe the midline of the body or a structure.
The medi/al portion of the face contains the nose.
From the term medi/al, determine the
root meaning middle:__________
suffix meaning pertaining to:__________
2–23 The suffix for towardis __________. The word root for middleis
__________.
Combine medi+ -ad to form a word that means toward the middle.
__________ / __________
2–24 Use -ad to form a directional term that means toward the middle (or center
of the body).
__________ / __________.
2–25 Anatomists use the term infer/ior to refer to a body structure located below
another body structure or the lower part of a structure. For example, your chin is sit-
uated infer/ior to your mouth. The rectum is the infer/ior portion of the colon.
To indicate that a structure is below another structure, use the directional term
__________ / __________.
To indicate the lower part of a structure, use the directional term
__________ / __________.
2–26 Practice using the directional terms later/al and infer/ior to describe the fol-
lowing positions.
The legs are __________ / __________ to the trunk.
The eyes are __________ / __________ to the nose.
2–27 Anatomists and other health-care professionals use the term super/ior to
refer to a body structure that is above another body structure or toward the head, be-
cause the head is the most superior structure of the body. Cephal/ad is a term that
refers to the direction toward the head.
When referring to the direction going toward the head, use the term
__________ / __________.
2–28 Define the word elements in super/ior.
-ior:
super:
Frame 2–16to Frame 2–28
Directional Terms • CHAPTER 2 37
medi
-al
-ad, medi
medi/ad
MĒ-dē-ăd
medi/ad
MĒ-dē-ăd
infer/ior
ĭn-FĒ-rē-or
infer/ior
ĭn-FĒ-rē-or
infer/ior
ĭn-FĒ-rē-or
later/al
LĂT-ĕr-ăl
cephal/ad
SĔF-ă-lăd
pertaining to
upper, above