Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Chapter 5 Academic Knowledge: Medical Terminology and Body Organization
159
a constant state of balance, or homeostasis (hoh-mee-oh-STAY-sihs)
[homeo = same, stasis = stopping, controlling]. Diseases and disorders
disturb this delicate balance.
Comparisons are a good learning tool because they help you organize
and combine new information with ideas that are already familiar to
you. The organizational structure of the human body, for example, can
be compared to building a house (Figure 5.10 on the next page). When
constructing a house, you need to begin with some basic building materials.
The wood and nails you use to build the walls of a house are like the cells
that make up body tissues. You need different types of body tissues to
make body organs, just as the builder needs different kinds of wood, stone,
and tile to make fl oors, counters, and walls. The fi replace, chimney, and
vent of a house’s heating system are like the lungs, bronchi, and trachea
of your respiratory system. Just as the parts of the heating system work
together for a common purpose, so do the organs of each body system.
The structural, plumbing, air conditioning, and electrical systems
in a house can be compared to the skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, and
nervous systems of the human body. Both a house and the human body
need all of their systems to work together to provide a comfortable
living environment. What other connections can you see between the
organization of the body and the structures that form a house? Can you
think of a different comparison?
Body Directions
Whether looking at a patient’s body, writing about it in a medical
chart, or coding patient information for the insurance company, all
healthcare workers must use the same terms and points of reference.
Medical examiners, surgeons, and medical illustrators all study the
human body from the standard anatomical position (SAP). When a
cadaver (kuh-DAV-er)—a dead body—lies on the examination table for
anatomical study, it is face up with the arms out to the side and palms
facing up.
Directional terms are used to describe parts of the body or their
position in reference to SAP. These terms usually occur in pairs with
opposite meanings:
• Anterior [ante = front, before, ior = more toward] is the front side
of the body; posterior [poster/o = back, behind, after] is the back.
You can see the anterior view by looking in the mirror, but you
need the refl ection of another mirror to see the posterior.
• Medial [med = middle, al = pertaining to] refers to a point closer
to the center of the body, while lateral [later = side] is toward the
side. Men’s clothing usually buttons and zips at the midline, but
some women’s clothing zips laterally at the hip.
• Superior [super = above, upon] means above or higher up on the
body; inferior [infer = below] means lower down. The shoulders
are superior to the hips but inferior to the ears.
• Sometimes we use more specifi c terms, such as cranial [crani =
skull] to talk about a point closer to the head and caudal [caud =
tail] for a point closer to the tailbone.
standard anatomical
position (SAP)
the agreed-upon reference
for body position when
studying anatomy; standing
erect on two legs, facing
frontward, with the arms at
the sides and palms facing
forward