---
title: 'A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Anatomical Terms'
description: 'If you are looking to become a medical professional, then it is important that you learn how to understand anatomical terminology, we will quickly and easily go over the basics to get you up to speed.'
date: 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z
image: 5FactsAboutHumanCirculatorySystem/humanCirculatorySystem3D_visualAnatomy3DApp.jpg
---

If you are looking to become a medical professional, then it is important that you learn how to understand anatomical terminology, which are mostly words derived from Latin and Greek. These terms can be confusing at first, but they're also precise and accurate which reduces the risk in mistaking one thing for another, which makes them very usefull for medical terms. These definitions also stay intact over time since these languages are no longer changing and evolving (also known as "dead" languages).



In this blog post, we will discuss the basics of anatomical terminology, once you understand the basics a lot of the termonology will fall into place and it becomes easier to understand the terms as well as remember them.

# What are anatomical naming conventions  and why are they used
anatomical terminology are often based on the structure's function, size, or location. 

Once you know the basic underlying termonology used you can see how they are used (often in combination) to specify specific parts of the human anatomy.



These terms help to provide a precise description of a given body part, which can be essential when performing medical procedures or communicating about a patient's condition. In addition, these terms can be used to describe the relative positions of different body parts, which can be helpful in understanding how the body is put together. Ultimately, understanding and using these anatomical terms can help to improve communication between medical professionals and lead to better patient care.



Anatomical terms of location
Top, Bottom
Superior (supra-) - refers to the upper part of the body or anything that is higher up than something else. 
Examples: 

1.supraspinatus (supra-spinatus), located on the upper (superior) portion of the shoulder blade (scapula). 

2.obliquus oculi superior, the upper muscle of the eye.



Inferior (infra-, sub-) - refers to the lower part of the body or anything that is lower down than something else.example: Inferior oblique muscle (Musculus obliquus inferior) )
Examples: 

1.



Front, Back

Anterior - describes the front side of the body or anything that is located in front of something else
Posterior - describes the back side of the body or anything that is located behind something else
Ventral - another term for anterior 
Dorsal - another term for posterior.


Left, Right 

Lateral - describe the sides of the body or anything that is located to the side of something else
Medial -describes structures close to the midline
Ipsilateral - refers to structures on the same side of the body 
Contralateral - refers to structures on opposite sides of the body 


In relation to the center

Proximal - describes anything that is closer to the center of the body or any structure that originates from another structure 
Distal - describes anything that is further away from the center of the body or any structure that terminates at another structure 


Anatomical terms of motion
Angular movements

Flexion is a bending movement that decreases the angle between two different segments. This can be seen in actions like flexing an elbow or clenching one's hand into a fist, for example
flexor moving that decreases an angle



Extension is the opposite of flexion, describing a straightening movement that increases angle between body parts. For example when standing up your knees are extended.
extensor moving that increase an angle or straightens



motion relative to the midline

Abduction is a motion that pulls a structure or part away from the midline of the body (usually carried out by one or more abductor muscles)
abductor moving away from the midline



Adduction is a motion that pulls a structure or part towards the midline of the body, or towards the midline of a limb (usually carried out by one or more adductor muscles).
adductor moving towards the midline



up or downwards motions

Elevation is movement in a superior (upwards) direction.
elevator moving upwards



Depression is movement in an inferior (downwards) direction.
depressor moving downwards



Facing up or down

Pronation facing down
pronator moving to face down



supsdflkjj 
supinator moving to face upwards



Rotational motions

Internal rotation (medial rotation or intorsion) is rotation towards the axis of the body (carried out by internal rotator muscles). 
internal rotator rotating towards the body



External rotation (lateral rotation or extorsion) is rotation away from the center of the body.(carried out by external rotator muscles).
external rotator rotating away from the body



Other types of motion

sphincter decreases the size

tensor gives tension to

fixator muscles serve to fix a joint in a given position by stabilizing the prime mover whilst other joints are moving.



How and why these terms are used in practice 
Anatomical Latin terms are used in professional medical contexts to distinguish between different parts of the body. These terms help to provide a precise description of the location of a given body part, which can be essential when performing medical procedures or communicating about a patient's condition. In addition, these terms can be used to describe the relative positions of different body parts, which can be helpful in understanding how the body is put together. For example, the elbow is located laterally to the hand, and the lungs are located posteriorly to the heart. Ultimately, understanding and using these anatomical Latinlocation terms can help to improve communication between medical professionals and lead to better patient care.



Conclusion
 anatomy can be a difficult topic to learn, but by breaking down words into their component parts and using mnemonic devices, you can make it easier. Additionally, practicing with the terms often will help them stick in your memory. Finally, understanding how these terms are used in practice can help improve communication between medical professionals.



Download our visual Anatomy 3D app to help you learn faster and easier
Now that you know a little more about Latin anatomical terms and how to best remember them, why not try using an anatomy learning tool to make the process even easier? VisualAnatomy3D is an interactive application that allows you to explore the anatomy of the human body in a 3D environment. With this tool, you can learn the location of different body parts and see how they are interconnected. So why not give it a try? The VisualAnatomy3D application can be downloaded for free from the iOS App Store, Google Play, or the Microsoft app store. *add links in text