You have to have a solid grasp on the directional terms, the body cavities, and the overall organization of the organs and their division of labor.
A familiarity with common Latin and Greek word roots will go a long way too.
Anatomical terms
To speak the language, you first need to have a frame of reference. When comparing one part of the body to another, the position of the body matters. As a result, all descriptions are made assuming the body is in anatomical position: standing upright, facing forward, arms to the side with palms turned out, as shown in the figure below.
Body position for anatomical terms
When you’re talking anatomy in a scientific way, everyday words such as front, back, above, and below just aren’t precise enough. Instead use the terms in the following list:
- Anterior or ventral: Toward the front of the body
- Posterior or dorsal: Toward the back of the body
- Superior: A part above another part
- Inferior: A part below another part
- Medial: Toward the midline of the body
- Lateral: Away from the midline of the body; toward the sides
- Proximal: Toward the point of attachment to the body
- Distal: Away from the point of attachment to the body
- Deep: Toward the inside of the body
- Superficial: Toward the outside of the body
- Parietal: A membrane that covers an internal body wall
- Visceral: A membrane that covers an organ
Also remember that right and left are that of the patient, not the observer.
Body cavities
Medical and crime shows have made body cavities all too familiar, and anatomically speaking, these spaces are very important, providing housing and protection for vital organs. The following list identifies the cavities of the human body.
- Dorsal cavity: The space within the skull and vertebrae (backbone)
- Cranial cavity: Contains the brain
- Spinal cavity: Contains the spinal cord, which is an extension of the brain
- Ventral cavity: Anterior portion of the torso; divided by the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity and abdominopelvic cavity
- Thoracic cavity: The chest or thorax; contains the heart, lungs, and their associated structures, as well as the esophagus and several glands
- Pleural cavities: Surround each lung
- Pericardial cavity: Contains the heart
The pleural cavities flank the pericardial cavity
- Thoracic cavity: The chest or thorax; contains the heart, lungs, and their associated structures, as well as the esophagus and several glands
- Abdominopelvic cavity: The portion of the ventral cavity below the diaphragm
- Abdominal cavity: Contains the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, small intestines, and most of the large intestine
- Pelvic cavity: Contains the end of the large intestine, rectum, urinary bladder, and internal reproductive organs
There is no obvious division between these two cavities
Organ systems
The body takes a divide-and-conquer approach to completing all of the tasks it must do to sustain life. Each body system has its own role to play, as shown in the table below.
| System | What the System Includes | What the System Does |
| Integumentary | Skin and its accessories | Protects underlying tissues, regulates body temperature |
| Skeletal | Bones and connective tissues | Provides framework, protects underlying soft tissues, produces blood cells |
| Muscular | Skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle | Powers movement, maintains posture, generates heat |
| Nervous | Brain, spinal cord, nerves, sensory organs | Communicates via impulse, integrates functions of other body systems |
| Endocrine | Pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands; pancreas; ovaries; and testes | Communicates via hormones |
| Cardiovascular | Heart, blood vessels, and blood | Transports materials throughout body |
| Lymphatic | Tonsils, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, and lymph | Provides immunity, filters tissue fluid |
| Digestive | Mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines (alimentary canal), and accessory organs (including salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder) | Obtains nutrients from food |
| Respiratory | Nose and mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs | Performs gas exchange with blood (oxygen in, carbon dioxide out) |
| Urinary | Kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra | Filters waste from the blood, retains water |
| Reproductive | Ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, vagina, and vulva in females; testes, seminal vesicles, prostate, urethra, and penis in males | Produces offspring |
Latin and Greek roots
Science, especially medicine, is permeated with Latin and Greek terms. Latin names are used for nearly every part of the body; and since the Greeks are the founders of modern medicine, Greek terms are common in medical terminology, as well.
This table represents some common Latin and Greek roots used in anatomy and physiology:
| English Form | Meaning | Example |
| angi(o)– | vessel | angiogram |
| arthr(o)– | joint | arthritis |
| bronch– | air passage | bronchitis |
| calc(i)– | calcium | calcify |
| card(i)– | heart | cardiovascular |
| cili– | small hair | cilia |
| corp– | body | corpus luteum |
| crani– | skull | cranium |
| cut(an)– | skin | cutaneous |
| gastr(o)– | stomach, belly | gastric |
| gluc(o)– | sweet, sugar | glucosa |
| hemat(o)– | blood | hematology |
| hist(o)– | webbing (tissue) | histology |
| hyster(o)– | womb | hysterectomy |
| lig– | to bind | ligament |
| osteo– | bone | osteoblast |
| pleur– | side, rib | pleural cavity |
| pulm(o)– | lung | pulmonary |
| ren– | kidney | renal |
| squam– | scale, flat | squamous |
| thorac– | chest | thoracic |
| vasc– | vessel | vascular |