| Hypo- | Prefix meaning below normal, deficient, or under. |
| Hyper- | Prefix meaning above normal, excessive, or over. |
| Prone | Body position lying face-down. |
| Supine | Body position lying face-up. |
| Distal | Farther from the trunk or point of origin. |
| Proximal | Closer to the trunk or point of origin. |
| Superior | Toward the head, or above another structure. |
| Inferior | Toward the feet, or below another structure. |
| Myo- | Root for muscle (e.g., myocardium = heart muscle). |
| -itis | Suffix meaning inflammation of (e.g., bronchitis). |
| Renal | Pertaining to the kidneys. |
| Choles- | Root for bile or gall (e.g., cholecystitis = inflammation of the gallbladder). |
| Lateral | Toward the side; away from the midline. |
| Medial | Toward the midline of the body. |
| Endo- | Prefix meaning within or inside. |
| Exo- | Prefix meaning outside or external. |
| Parietal | Pertaining to the outer wall of a body cavity (e.g., parietal pleura lines the chest wall). |
| Visceral | Pertaining to the internal organs or the membrane covering them (e.g., visceral pleura covers the lung). |
| Cardi- | Root for heart. |
| Pulmonary | Pertaining to the lungs. |
| Peritoneal | Pertaining to the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdominal cavity. |
| Oro- | Prefix meaning mouth (e.g., oropharyngeal airway — OPA). |
| Naso- | Prefix meaning nose (e.g., nasopharyngeal airway — NPA). |
| Pharynx | The throat — passageway behind the nose and mouth that leads to the esophagus and larynx. |
| Larynx | The voice box — contains the vocal cords; sits between the pharynx and trachea. |
| Retro- | Prefix meaning behind or backward. |
| Anterior | Toward the front of the body. |
| Posterior | Toward the back of the body. |
| Abduction | Movement of a limb away from the body's midline. |
| Adduction | Movement of a limb toward the body's midline. |
| Phage | Root meaning to eat or engulf (e.g., macrophage = cell that engulfs debris). |
| Pleura | The double-layered membrane surrounding the lungs (parietal layer on chest wall, visceral layer on lung). |
| Poly- | Prefix meaning many or much. |
| -uria | Suffix meaning urine or urination (e.g., polyuria = excessive urination). |
| -dipsia | Suffix meaning thirst (e.g., polydipsia = excessive thirst). |
| Acidotic | Pertaining to acidosis — blood pH below normal (< 7.35). |
| Alkalotic | Pertaining to alkalosis — blood pH above normal (> 7.45). |
| Oxy- | Root for oxygen (e.g., hypoxia = low oxygen in tissues). |
| Hemo- | Root for blood (e.g., hemorrhage = bleeding). |
| Pneumo- | Root for air or lung (e.g., pneumothorax = air in the chest cavity). |
| Thoracic | Pertaining to the thorax (chest). |
| Sympathetic | Division of the autonomic nervous system that drives the "fight-or-flight" response (↑ HR, ↑ RR, vasoconstriction, pupil dilation). |
| Parasympathetic | Division of the autonomic nervous system that drives "rest-and-digest" (↓ HR, ↑ GI activity, pupil constriction). |
| Autonomic | Pertaining to the involuntary nervous system that controls heart rate, breathing, digestion. |
| Cervical | Pertaining to the neck (cervical spine = 7 vertebrae of the neck). |
| Lumbar | Pertaining to the lower back (lumbar spine = 5 vertebrae below the thoracic). |
| JVD | Jugular Venous Distention — visible bulging of the neck veins; sign of right-heart strain or tension pneumothorax. |
| Trachea | The windpipe — cartilaginous tube from larynx to bronchi. |
| Glottic | Pertaining to the glottis — the opening between the vocal cords. |
| Cerebral | Pertaining to the cerebrum or brain. |
| Neuro- | Root for nerve or nervous system. |
| -genic | Suffix meaning producing or originating from (e.g., cardiogenic = originating from the heart). |
| Patho- | Root meaning disease (e.g., pathology = study of disease). |
| Physi- | Root meaning nature or function (e.g., physiology = study of function). |
| -ostomy | Suffix meaning the surgical creation of an opening (e.g., tracheostomy = surgical opening in the trachea). |
| -ology | Suffix meaning the study of (e.g., cardiology). |
| -ectomy | Suffix meaning surgical removal of (e.g., appendectomy). |
| CSF | Cerebrospinal Fluid — clear fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord. |
| ICP | Intracranial Pressure — pressure within the skull; rises with bleeding or swelling and threatens the brain. |
| -tensive | Suffix relating to pressure or tension (e.g., hypertensive, hypotensive). |
| Palpation | Examining by touch — feeling for pulse, deformity, tenderness, crepitus. |
| Deviation | A shift away from the normal position (e.g., tracheal deviation). |
| Extension | Straightening a joint — increasing the angle between two bones. |
| Flexion | Bending a joint — decreasing the angle between two bones. |
| Supra- | Prefix meaning above or over (e.g., suprapubic). |
| Sub- | Prefix meaning under or below (e.g., subcutaneous). |
| Intra- | Prefix meaning within or inside (e.g., intramuscular). |
| Ventilation | The mechanical movement of air into and out of the lungs. |
| Respiration | The gas exchange between alveoli and blood (and between blood and tissues); not the same as ventilation. |
| Contraction | Shortening of a muscle, producing force or movement. |
| Gluco- | Root for glucose or sugar. |
| Genesis | Origin or production (suffix form -genesis: the creation of). |
| Hepatic- | Pertaining to the liver. |
| Pedal | Pertaining to the foot (e.g., pedal pulses = pulses in the feet). |
| Auscultation | Examining by listening — typically with a stethoscope (lung sounds, heart sounds, BP). |
| Diaphoretic | Sweating profusely — often a sign of shock, MI, or hypoglycemia. |
| Brady- | Prefix meaning slow (e.g., bradycardia, bradypnea). |
| Tachy- | Prefix meaning fast (e.g., tachycardia, tachypnea). |
| Apneic | Not breathing. |
| Atrial | Pertaining to the atria — the upper chambers of the heart. |
| Ventricle | A chamber — usually one of the lower chambers of the heart (right and left ventricles). |
| Arterial | Pertaining to an artery — the vessels carrying blood away from the heart (typically oxygenated; pulmonary arteries are the exception). |