Medical Terminology Simplified

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