Medical Terminology for

Health Professionals,
9e
Chapter 2: The Human Body in
Health and Disease

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Chapter Objectives
By the end of the chapter, you should be able to:
2.01 Define anatomy and physiology and the uses of anatomical reference
systems to identify the anatomical position plus body planes, directions,
and cavities.
2.02 Recognize, define, spell, and pronounce the primary terms related to
cells and genetics.
2.03 Recognize, define, spell, and pronounce the primary terms related to the
structure, function, pathology, and procedures of tissues and glands.
2.04 Identify the major organs and functions of the body systems.
2.05 Recognize, define, spell, and pronounce the primary terms used to
describe pathology, the modes of transmission, and the types of
diseases.

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (1 of 14)
• Used to describe the locations of the structural units of the body
• Anatomical reference systems include:
▪ Body planes
▪ Body directions
▪ Body cavities
▪ Structural units
• When body parts work together to perform a related function, they are
grouped together and are known as a body system

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (2 of 14)
Anatomy and Physiology Defined
• Anatomy is the study of the structures of the body
▪ Anatomical means referring to anatomy
• Physiology is the study of the functions of the structures of the body
▪ physi means nature or physical
▪ -ology means study of
• The anatomical position
▪ Describes the body standing in the standard position
▪ Standing up straight so that the body is erect and facing forward
▪ Holding the arms at the sides with the hands turned so that the palms face
toward the front

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (3 of 14)
The Body Planes
• Imaginary vertical and horizontal lines
▪ Used to divide the body into sections for descriptive purposes
▪ Aligned to a body standing in the anatomical position
• Vertical planes
▪ Sagittal: vertical plane; divides the body into unequal left and right portions
▪ Midsagittal (midline): sagittal plane; divides the body into equal left and right
halves
▪ Frontal (coronal): vertical plane; divides the body into anterior (front) and
posterior (back) portions
• Horizontal plane
▪ Transverse plane: divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower)
portions
Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Anatomical Reference Systems (4 of 14)

The midsagittal plane divides the body into

equal left and right halves. The transverse
plane divides the body into superior (upper)
and inferior (lower) portions. The frontal plane
divides the body into anterior or ventral (front)
and posterior or dorsal (back) portions.

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (5 of 14)
Body Direction Terms
• Relative location of sections of the body or of an organ
▪ Described through the use of pairs of contrasting body direction terms
• Examples:
▪ Ventral (opposite of dorsal) refers to the front, or belly side
▪ Dorsal (opposite of ventral) refers to the back of the organ or body

▪ Cephalic (opposite of caudal) means toward the head

▪ Caudal (opposite of cephalic) means toward the lower part of the body

▪ Anterior (opposite of posterior) means situated in the front

▪ Posterior (opposite of anterior) means situated in the back

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Anatomical Reference Systems (6 of 14)

Cephalic means toward the head, and caudal

means toward the feet. Posterior means
toward the back, and the back of the body is
known as the dorsal surface. Anterior means
toward the front, and the front of the body is
known as the ventral surface.

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (7 of 14)
Body Direction Terms
Examples:
▪ Superior (opposite of inferior) means uppermost, above, or toward the head
▪ Inferior (opposite of superior) means lowermost, below, or toward the feet

▪ Proximal (opposite of distal) means situated nearest the midline or beginning of

a body structure
▪ Distal (opposite of proximal) means situated farthest from the midline or
beginning of a body structure

▪ Medial (opposite of lateral) means the direction toward, or nearer, the midline
▪ Lateral (opposite of medial) means the direction toward, or nearer, the side of
the body, away from the midline

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Anatomical Reference Systems (8 of 14)

Proximal means situated nearest the

midline, and distal means situated
farthest from the midline. Medial
means toward or nearer the midline,
and lateral means toward the side
and away from the midline.

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 Anatomical Reference Systems (9 of 14)
Major Body Cavities
• Two major body cavities
▪ The dorsal (back) and the ventral (front) cavities
▪ Spaces within the body that contain and protect internal organs
• Dorsal cavity
▪ Located along the back of the body and head
▪ Contains organs of the nervous system
▪ Coordinates body functions
• Divided into two portions
▪ Cranial cavity: located within the skull, surrounds and protects the brain
▪ Spinal cavity: located within the spinal column, surrounds and protects the
spinal cord

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (10 of 14)
Major Body Cavities
• Ventral cavity
▪ Located along the front of the body
▪ Contains the organs that sustain homeostasis
• Divided into portions
▪ Thoracic cavity: also known as the chest cavity or thorax
▪ Diaphragm: muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities
▪ Abdominal cavity: contains the major organs of digestion
▪ Pelvic cavity: space formed by the hip bones; contains the organs of the reproductive
and excretory systems
▪ Abdominopelvic cavity: refers to the abdominal and pelvic cavities as a single unit
▪ Inguinal: refers to the entire lower area of the abdomen; includes the groin

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Anatomical Reference Systems (11 of 14)

The major body cavities.

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (12 of 14)
Major Body Cavities
• Regions of the thorax and abdomen divide the
abdomen and lower portion of the thorax into
nine parts
▪ Right and left hypochondriac regions: covered
by the lower ribs
▪ Epigastric region: located above the stomach
▪ Right and left lumbar regions: located near the
inward curve of the spine
▪ Umbilical region: surrounds the umbilicus,
commonly known as the belly button or navel
▪ Right and left iliac regions: located near the hip
bones
▪ Hypogastric region: located below the stomach
Regions of the thorax and abdomen.

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (13 of 14)
Major Body Cavities
• Quadrants of the abdomen
▪ Describing where an abdominal
organ or pain is located is made
easier by dividing the abdomen into
four imaginary quadrants.
• The term quadrant means divided
into four
▪ Right upper quadrant (RUQ)
▪ Left upper quadrant (LUQ)
▪ Right lower quadrant (RLQ)
▪ Left lower quadrant (LLQ) Division of the abdomen into quadrants.

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Anatomical Reference Systems (14 of 14)
Major Body Cavities
• The peritoneum
▪ Parietal peritoneum: outer layer of the peritoneum that lines the interior of
the abdominal wall; parietal means cavity wall
▪ Mesentery: fused double layer of the parietal peritoneum that attaches
parts of the intestine to the interior abdominal wall
▪ Visceral peritoneum: inner layer of the peritoneum that surrounds the
organs of the abdominal cavity; visceral means relating to the internal
organs
▪ Retroperitoneal means located behind the peritoneum
▪ Peritonitis: inflammation of the peritoneum

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 Structures of the Body
• The body is made up of increasingly larger and
more complex structural units
▪ From smallest to largest, these are cells, tissues,
organs, and body systems
▪ Working together, these structures form the
complete body and enable it to function properly

The human body is highly organized, from the single cell to the total organism.

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 Cells (1 of 5)
Basic Structural and Functional Units of the Body
• Cells are specialized and grouped together to form tissues and organs
• Cytology: study of the anatomy, physiology, pathology, and chemistry
of cells
• Cytologist: specialist in the study and analysis of cells

The Structures of Cells

• Cell membrane: tissue that surrounds and protects the contents of a
cell from the external environment

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 Cells (2 of 5)
The Structures of Cells
• Cytoplasm
▪ Material within the cell membrane
that is not part of the nucleus
• Nucleus
▪ Structure within the cell
▪ Surrounded by the nuclear
membrane
▪ Has two important functions:
(1) Controls the activities of the cell
(2) Helps the cell divide
A basic cell and DNA molecule.

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 Cells (3 of 5)
Stem Cells
• Unspecialized cells
▪ Able to renew themselves for long periods of time by cell division
▪ Under certain conditions, can be transformed into cells with special
functions
• Adult stem cells
▪ Also known as somatic stem cells
▪ Undifferentiated cells found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ
▪ Normally the primary role of these cells is to maintain and repair the tissue
▪ The term undifferentiated means not having a specialized function or
structure
▪ In contrast, the term differentiated means having a specialized function or
structure
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 Cells (4 of 5)
Stem Cells
• Embryonic stem cells
▪ Undifferentiated cells that are unlike any specific adult cell
▪ Have the ability to form any adult cell; embryonic means referring to an embryo, a
developing fetus during in its first eight weeks in the womb
▪ Can proliferate (grow rapidly) indefinitely in a laboratory; could potentially provide a
source for adult muscle, liver, bone, or blood cells
▪ Are more primitive than adult stem cells; embryonic stem cell transplants do not require
as perfect a match between patient and donor as transplantation of adult stem cells
▪ Come from the cord blood found in the umbilical cord and placenta of a newborn infant
▪ Can be harvested at the time of birth without danger to mother or child; can also be
obtained from surplus embryos produced by in vitro (test tube) fertilization

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Cells (5 of 5)
Stem Cells
• Stem cell therapy
▪ Also known as regenerative medicine
▪ Has many potential uses to heal injuries and treat diseases
• Cells for this purpose
▪ Usually harvested from the hematopoietic (blood forming) tissue of the
bone marrow
▪ Can be harvested from the patient’s own bone marrow or transplanted
from one individual to another
▪ Unless there is an excellent match between the donor and recipient,
there is the possibility of rejection, known as graft-versus-host disease

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 Genetics (1 of 6)
Dominant and Recessive Genes
• Individuals receive two genes of each genetic trait:
▪ One from the father and one from the mother
• A dominant gene is inherited from either parent:
▪ Offspring will inherit that genetic condition or characteristic
▪ Dominant gene examples: freckles (physical trait) and Huntington’s disease
(hereditary disease)
• The same recessive gene is inherited from both parents:
▪ Offspring will have that condition
▪ Recessive gene example: sickle cell anemia; inherited red blood cell disorders
• Recessive gene from one parent; normal gene from the other parent:
▪ Offspring will not have the condition

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Genetics (2 of 6)
The Human Genome
• A genome is the complete set of genetic information of an organism
• The Human Genome Project
▪ Studied genetic code for individual people
▪ Found that it is more than 99% identical among humans throughout the
world
• The first complete mapping of the human genome was published in
2003
▪ Took 13 years to complete
• Scientists are now working to understand the proteins encoded by the
sequence of the 25,000 genes

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 Genetics (3 of 6)
Chromosomes
• A chromosome is a genetic structure located within the nucleus of each cell
▪ Chromosomes are made up of DNA molecules containing the body’s genes
• Somatic cell
▪ Any cell in the body except the gametes (sex cells)
▪ Contains 46 chromosomes arranged into 23 pairs
▪ 22 identical pairs of chromosomes, plus another pair (remaining pair: XX for a typical
female and XY for a typical male)
• Gamete (sperm or egg), also known as a sex cell
▪ Only type of cell that does not contain 46 chromosomes
▪ Each ovum (egg) or sperm has 23 single chromosomes
▪ Newly formed offspring receives 23 chromosomes from each parent, for a total of 46
▪ X or Y chromosome from the father that determines the sex of the child

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 Genetics (4 of 6)
DNA
• Human DNA contains thousands of genes
▪ Provides information essential for heredity, determining physical
appearance, disease risks, and other traits
• DNA is an abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid
▪ Main component of chromosomes
▪ Material that carries the body’s genetic information
▪ Found in all types of cells except erythrocytes (red blood cells)
• DNA is packaged in a chromosome
▪ Two spiraling strands that twist together to form a double helix
▪ No two DNA patterns are exactly the same, except identical twins
▪ A very small sample of DNA can be used to identify individuals for
criminal investigations, paternity suits, or genealogical research
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 Genetics (5 of 6)
Genetic Mutation
• A change of the sequence of a DNA molecule
• Somatic cell mutation
▪ A change within the cells of the body
▪ Affect the individual but cannot be transmitted to the next generation
• Gametic cell mutation
▪ A change within the genes in a gamete (sex cell)
▪ Can be transmitted by a parent to his or her children
• Genetic engineering
▪ Manipulating or splicing of genes for scientific or medical purposes
▪ Example: production of human insulin from modified bacteria

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Genetics (6 of 6)
Genetic Disorders
• A genetic disorder is a pathological
condition caused by an absent or
defective gene
▪ Also known as a hereditary disease
• Examples:
▪ Cystic fibrosis (CF)
▪ Down syndrome (DS)
▪ Fragile X syndrome
▪ Hemophilia Down syndrome is a genetic disorder
usually caused by the presence of a third
▪ Muscular dystrophy copy of the 21st chromosome. For this
▪ Phenylketonuria (PKU) reason, it is also known as trisomy 21.

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 Tissues (1 of 5)
Tissue
• Group or layer of similarly specialized cells that join together to
perform certain specific functions
Histology
• Microscopic study of the structure, composition, and function of tissues
Histologist
• Non-physician specialist who studies the microscopic structure of
tissues
Four main types of tissue
• Epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscle tissue, and nerve tissue

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 Tissues (2 of 5)
Epithelial Tissue
• Forms a protective covering for all internal and external surfaces of the
body
▪ Also forms glands
• Epithelium
▪ Specialized epithelial tissue that forms the epidermis of the skin and the
surface layer of mucous membranes
• Endothelium
▪ Specialized epithelial tissue that lines the blood and lymph vessels, body
cavities, glands, and organs

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 Tissues (3 of 5)
Connective Tissue
• Supports and connects organs and other body tissues
Four kinds of connective tissue:
• Dense connective tissues
▪ Form the joints and framework of the body; examples include bone and
cartilage
• Adipose tissue (also known as fat)
▪ Provides protective padding, insulation, and support
• Loose connective tissue
▪ Holds organs in place and binds tissue together
• Fluid connective tissues
▪ Blood and lymph; transport nutrients and waste products throughout the body
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 Tissues (4 of 5)
Muscle Tissue
• Contains cells with the specialized ability to contract and relax
Nerve Tissue
• Contains cells with the specialized ability to react to stimuli and to
conduct electrical impulses
Pathology of Tissue Formation
• Disorders of the tissues
▪ Frequently due to unknown causes and can occur before birth or appear
later in life
▪ Incomplete tissue formation: aplasia and hypoplasia

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Tissues (5 of 5)
Muscle Tissue
• Abnormal tissue formation
▪ Anaplasia: change in the structure of cells and in their orientation to each
other
(contrast with hypertrophy)
▪ Dysplasia: abnormal development or growth of cells, or the presence of
abnormal cells within a type of tissue
▪ Hyperplasia: increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ; contrast
hyperplasia with hypertrophy
▪ Hypertrophy: increase in the bulk of a body part or organ due to an
increase in the size, but not number, of cells in tissues; contrast
hypertrophy with anaplasia and hyperplasia

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Glands (1 of 2)
Gland
• Group of specialized epithelial
cells capable of producing
secretions
▪ A secretion is the substance
produced by a gland
• Exocrine glands
▪ Secrete chemical substances
into ducts that lead either to
other organs or out of the body
(A) Exocrine glands secrete their chemical substances into
• Endocrine glands ducts that lead either to other organs or out of the body.
▪ Produce hormones (B) Endocrine glands pour their secretions directly into the
▪ Do not have ducts bloodstream.

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 Glands (2 of 2)
Pathology and Procedures of the Glands
• The word root aden means gland
• Examples of pathologies of glands:
▪ Adenitis: inflammation of a gland
▪ Adenocarcinoma: malignant tumor that originates in the glands and may
spread to other parts of the body
▪ Adenoma: benign tumor that starts in the epithelial tissue of a gland or
glandlike structure
▪ Adenosis: any disease or condition of a gland

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 Body Systems and Related Organs
Organ
• Somewhat independent part of the body that performs a specific function
Body systems
• For purposes of description, related tissues and organs are described as
being organized into body systems with specialized functions
▪ These body systems are explained in Table 2.1 of the text
• Examples:
▪ Skeletal system: bones, joints, and cartilage
▪ Lymphatic system: lymph, lymphatic vessels, and lymph nodes
▪ Immune system: tonsils, spleen, thymus, skin, and specialized blood cells
▪ Special senses: eyes and ears
▪ Integumentary system: skin, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands

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scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Pathology (1 of 8)
Pathology
• The study of disease
▪ Its nature and cause as well as the produced changes in structure and
function
▪ Also means a condition produced by disease
• Pathologist
▪ A physician who specializes in the laboratory analysis of diseased tissue
samples to confirm or establish a diagnosis
• Etiology
▪ The study of the causes of diseases or abnormal conditions

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 Pathology (2 of 8)
Disease Transmission
• Pathogen: disease-producing microorganism such as a virus
• Communicable disease: any condition transmitted from one person to another
Types of Disease Transmission
• Direct transmission: human-to-human contact or exchange of bodily fluids
• Bloodborne transmission: infected blood or other bodily fluids
▪ Infected fluids must enter the bloodstream to cause infection
▪ Examples: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and most sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs)
• Droplet transmission: infected respiratory droplets
▪ Coughing or sneezing onto a nearby person; use of a face mask limits transmission
▪ Examples: measles, cold, COVID-19, and flu
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 Pathology (3 of 8)
Types of Disease Transmission
• Indirect contact transmission: contact with a contaminated surface
▪ Frequent hand washing is essential for prevention
• Airborne transmission: contact with pathogens floating in the air
▪ Microparticles remain airborne for a long period of time after someone coughs or sneezes
▪ Travel up to 1 meter and expose someone even after the infected person is gone
▪ Examples: tuberculosis, measles, COVID-19, and chicken pox
• Food-borne and waterborne transmission: consuming contaminated food or water
▪ Also known as fecal-oral transmission
• Vector-borne transmission: insect bite
▪ Spread through blood-sucking vectors, such as flies, mites, fleas, and ticks
▪ Mosquitoes are the most common vectors; they transmit malaria and West Nile virus

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 Pathology (4 of 8)
Outbreaks of Diseases
▪ Epidemiologist: specialist in the study of outbreaks of disease within a population group
▪ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): national health protection agency;
tracks outbreaks of diseases across the country and works to help prevent their spread
• Endemic
▪ Ongoing presence of a disease within a population, group, or area
▪ Example: the common cold, which is always present within the general population
• Epidemic
▪ Sudden, widespread outbreak of a disease within a specific population group or area
• Pandemic
▪ Outbreak of a disease occurring over a large geographic area, possibly worldwide
▪ Examples: worldwide spread of HIV and COVID-19

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 Pathology (5 of 8)
Types of Diseases
• Organic disorder
▪ Produces symptoms that are detectable physical changes in the body
▪ Example: varicella (chickenpox), characterized by a rash consisting of
hundreds of small blisters caused by a virus
• Functional disorder
▪ Produces physical symptoms for which no disease or organic cause can
be identified
▪ Example: chronic fatigue syndrome
• Iatrogenic illness
▪ Unfavorable response due to prescribed medical treatment
▪ Example: severe burns resulting from radiation therapy
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 Pathology (6 of 8)
Types of Diseases
• Idiopathic disease
▪ Disease without a known cause
• Infectious disease
▪ Illness caused by living pathogenic organisms
▪ Examples: diseases caused by bacteria and viruses
• Nosocomial infection
▪ Also known as hospital-acquired infection (HAI)
▪ Disease acquired in a hospital or clinical setting
▪ Examples: multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Pathology (7 of 8)
Syndrome
• Signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a specific disease
process
▪ Some conditions include this term in their name
▪ Examples: Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome
• Metabolic syndrome
▪ Common medical condition characterized by risk factors for developing
heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
▪ Factors may include elevated blood pressure, central adiposity (excessive
fat in the abdomen), high insulin levels in the blood, and high cholesterol
and triglyceride levels

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Pathology (8 of 8)
Congenital Disorders
▪ Abnormal conditions that exist at the time of birth
• Developmental disorders before birth (also known as a birth defects)
▪ Anomaly or malformation (examples: absence of a limb or presence of an extra toe)
• Prenatal risk factors
▪ Mother’s health (example: rubella infection in early pregnancy)
▪ Behavior (example: consumption of alcohol leading to fetal alcohol syndrome)
▪ Prenatal care (examples: premature delivery or low-birth-weight baby)
• Premature birth
▪ Birth before 37th week (examples: breathing difficulties and heart problems)
• Injuries during birth process
▪ Result from trauma during labor or delivery
▪ Most of these injuries, including fractures of the clavicle, heal quickly

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Aging and Death (1 of 2)
• Aging: normal progression of the life cycle that will eventually end in death
▪ During the latter portion of life, individuals become increasingly at higher risk of
developing health problems that are chronic or eventually fatal
• Geriatrics or gerontology
▪ Study of the medical problems and care of older people
• Postmortem
▪ Means after death
• Postmortem examination
▪ Also known as an autopsy
▪ Usually conducted to determine the cause of death
▪ Also a way of evaluating the presence of disease and the effectiveness of
treatment
Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Aging and Death (2 of 2)
Advance Directives
• Documents used to provide guidance for:
▪ Types of treatment a person may want in case of an unknown future medical emergency
▪ Who is authorized to make health care decisions if a person cannot do so themselves
• Health care proxy (HCP)
▪ Also referred to as a durable power of attorney for health care
▪ Appoints a trusted person to make treatment decisions
• Living will
▪ Also known as Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
▪ Statement of wishes for end-of-life medical care
• Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR)
▪ Also known as no code or allow natural death
▪ States that the person does not wish to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Abbreviations Related to the Human Body in
Health and Disease
• To avoid errors or confusion, always be cautious when using
abbreviations (See Table 2.2 in the text)
▪ A & P = anatomy and physiology
▪ DNA = deoxyribonucleic acid
▪ GP = general practitioner
▪ HD = Huntington’s disease
▪ LLQ = left lower quadrant
▪ LUQ = left upper quadrant
▪ PA = physician assistant
▪ RLQ = right lower quadrant
▪ RUQ = right upper quadrant
Schroeder/Ehrlich/Schroeder Smith/Ehrlich, Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be
scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.