Ramus: a branch, which, when translated, is used to describe smaller arteries, veins and nerves arising from their parent vessels or nerves

Raphe: a seam where two similar sheets of tissue unite

Rete: a network, used to describe plexuses of small canals, nerves or vessels

Retinaculum: a band of connective tissue, usually connected at both ends to bone, which keeps tendons or other structures in place

Rima: a cleft or fissure that refers to a narrow oval or oblong opening

Root: the part of a nerve or organ which arises from another structure

Sac: a bag-like cavity or pouch

Septum: a dividing wall or partition

Sinus: a recess, a cavity or hollow space, a dilated channel for venous blood or a small tunnel

Space: a clearly demarcated segment of tissue or potential cavity

Spine: a small, sharp-pointed projection from a bone

Stria: a streak or stripe, sometimes slightly elevated

Stroma: supporting fibrous framework of tissue

Substantia: means substance or matter

Sulcus: a groove

Taenia: a flat band or tape, applied to a narrow strip of muscle

Tegmen: roof

Tela: means a web and describes a thin web-like membrane. Loosely translated, it can mean tissue

Tendon: a cord of connective tissue into which muscles fibers end by which a muscle is attached to bone or other structures

Trabecula: means a beam or bar

Tract: a bundle of fibers, often nerve fibers, having similar origins and terminations

Trigonum: a triangular space or area

Trochlea: pulley

Tuber: an enlargement or swelling

Tubercle: an eminence on a bone, usually smoother than a tuberosity

Tuberosity: a rough eminence on a bone

Tunica: a covering or coat around muscle or hollow viscera

Uvula: means little grape, usually referring to the small fleshy appendage that hangs from the soft palate

Vallecula: a wide depression, furrow or valley

Valve: a fold in an artery, vein or duct which prevents reflux of its contents

Vas: a tubular structure

Velum: means a veil or curtain

Veins: vessels that return blood from capillaries to the heart

Viscus: any organ of the digestive, respiratory or urogenital systems, or ductless gland. Viscera is the plural

The following web site does a great job of relating this information: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatplanes.htm

Ganglion: a swelling on the course of a nerve. Usually corresponds to a collection of nerve cells.

Genu: means knee: Geniculum is sometimes applied to a bent part of a structure.

Gyrus: a fold or convolution of the cerebral cortex.

Hilum: a depression or notch where blood vessels enter or leave an organ.

Humor: applied to fluids of the eye.

Infundibulum: a funnel-shaped passage.

Interdigitat: an interlocking of structures by finger-like processes, as when the fingers of the two hands are interposed.

Invaginate: a process when part of a wall of a structure is pushed inwards to that the structure which invaginates the membrane becomes partly ensheathed by it.

Isthmus: a narrow part of a duct or other passage, or a narrow strip of tissue connecting two wider parts of an organ.

Joints: places where bones meet each other (articulate). Where bones are connected by fibrous tissue, the joint is known as a fibrous joint (i.e. suture of skull). Where bones are united by cartilaginous tissue, the joint is known as a cartilaginous joint (i.e. symphysis pubis). Where a space intervenes between the articulating ends of bones, the joint is called a synovial joint (i.e. most of the joints of the body). In these joints, there is an articular capsule the encloses the joint. This capsule is lined by a synovial membrane which secretes a lubricating fluid.

Labium: lip

Lamina: A thin plate of bone or cartilage or a thin layer of softer tissues. A stratum is also used to denote a layer.

Ligament: a band of fibrous connective tissue by which bones are connected to each other. Sometimes bands of connective tissue which support the viscera or the thorax or abdomen are also known as ligaments.

Lobe: a part of an organ, often separated from the rest by a fissure. A lobule is a small lobe.

Meatus: a passage or opening.

Muscle: these structures vary in shape and size, but always consist of masses of special contractile cells which are under nervous control. It is usual to describe a muscle as possessing an origin and insertion, in the sense that when the muscle contracts, the insertion moves toward the origin. It is probably more useful to regard a muscle as possessing attachments which are approximated when the whole muscle contracts. The original of a muscle is sometimes called the head and the contractile part the belly.

Nerves: the nerves of the body can be divided into twelve pairs of cranial nerves, which arise from the brain and brainstem, 31-33 pairs of spinal nerves which arise from the spinal cord in segmental series (8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 1-3 coccygeal). The spinal nerves emerge from the intervertebral foramina which lie along side of adjacent vertebrae. The pass laterally into the neck or trunk. A typical spinal nerve is formed by the union of a dorsal root, which arises from the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord and a ventral root which arises from the ventral aspect of the spinal cord. The dorsal root consists of sensory (afferent) fibers and contains a swelling called the dorsal root ganglion. This ganglion contains the cells bodies of the sensory nerve fibers. The ventral root consists of motor (efferent) nerve fibers. The nerve trunk formed by the mergence of the two roots splits immediately into a dorsal ramus and a ventral ramus. The dorsal ramus supplies the deeper muscles of the back the their overlying skin. The ventral ramus supplies muscles and skin on the lateral and ventral aspects of the body. The nerve supply of the limbs is derived entirely from the ventral rami of the spinal nerves.

Sympathetic nerves: Just at the point where the 12 thoracic and first 2 lumbar spinal nerve trunks split into a dorsal and ventral ramus, two branches leave the trunk that connect to the sympathetic chain ganglia, and these are called the communicating rami. The gray communicating ramus usually comes off first and connects to the ganglion in the sympathetic chain. It carries post ganglionic neurons from the ganglion back to the spinal nerve trunk and thence to its branches. The white communicating ramus arises a little more distal than the gray one and also connects to the sympathetic chain and its ganglia. This connection carries pre ganglionic neurons from the spinal cord to the sympathetic chain where synapses may occur at that level or past the sympathetic ganglia into other sympathetic ganglia.

Neuron: The neuron or nerve cell is the functional unit of the nervous system. Each is composed of a cell body (perikaryon) where the nucleus of the cell is located, and one or more processes. One of the processes, called the axon, is different from the others, which are called dendrites. The dendrites and body are the receiving part of the neuron and the axon is the distribution part of the neuron.

Node: a swelling or protuberance. A nodule is a small node.

Notch: an indentation or depression, usually on the border of a bone.

Nucleus: literally means a kernel or nut. In anatomy, nucleus is most often used to describe an aggregation or cluster of nerve cells.

Papilla: a small nipple-shaped elevation.

Periosteum: the fibrous covering of a bone.

Plexus: a network of nerve or vessel processes.

Pouch: pockets of peritoneum in the abdomen.

Process: an appendage or projection from the main part of a bone or organ.

Punctum: a minute opening.

The following web site does a great job of relating this information: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatplanes.htm

Aditus: an entrance or opening

Ala: a wing-like process

Alveolus: a deep narrow pit, such as a tooth-socket

Ampulla: used to describe the dilated part of a duct

Ansa: a loop, usually referring to a nerve

Antrum: a cavity

Aponeurosis: a glistening sheet of fibrous connective tissue from which muscle fibers arise or into which they runv

Artery: a blood vessel which conducts blood from the hear

Bone: a special form of connective tissue in which calcium salts are deposited and which provides a framework, or skeleton, for the other tissues of the body

Bursa: a membranous sac containing a small amount of viscous fluid. A bursa is usually found in tissues where friction develops, such as where a tendon crosses a bony prominence. A bursa may form synovial sheaths to surround tendons as they cross other tendons or bone

Canalva and relatively narrow channel, or tunnel, often through a bone. A canaliculus is a smaller canal

Capsule: a fibrous or membranous envelope surrounding an organ. An articular capsule surrounds each synovial joint, being attached to the bones just beyond the limits of the joint cavity

Cartilage: a firm white tissue, from which most parts of the bony skeleton are formed and which persists to protect the surfaces of bones and joints

Caruncle: a small fleshy eminenc

Cauda: tai

Cavity: a hollow space (or potential space) within the body or its organs

Cervix: means neck and is applied to the neck like portion of an organ (e.g. cervix of uterus

Chiasma: a crossing of fibers in the form of an X. Used primarily to describe nerve fibers

Commissure: a band of fibers which join corresponding right and left parts of a structure across the median plane

Corpus: means bod

Cortex: outer part, or rind, or some organs as distinguished from their inner part, or core usually called a medulla

Crest: a projecting ridge, especially one which on a bon

Crus: means a leg and is applied to a structure that resembles a leg or stal

Decussation: same as a chiasma. A crossing of fibers in the form of an X

Digitation: a finger like process of a muscle

Disc: a flat round structure usually applied to plates of cartilage in joints

Duct: a tube for the passage of fluid, especially secretions of glands. A ductule is a small duct

Epithelium: a layer of cells which forms the external surface of the skin, or which lines the cavities of the digestive, respiratory and urogenital organs, serous cavities, inner coats of blood and lymphatic vessels, gland and cavities within the brain. The epithelium of the skin is the epidermis. The epithelium of the digestive, respiratory and urogenital organs is moistened by a film of mucus and is known as the mucous coat. The epithelium lining bloods vessels is known as the endothelium. Serous cavities are lined by epithelium called mesothelium

Fascia: tissue which lies immediately deep to the skin known as subcutaneous tissue. It usually consists of a layer of connective tissue which contains fat, and of a deep and more fibrous layer which adheres to the surface of the underlying muscle and vessels. These layers are known as superficial and deep fascia respectively. Fascia surrounds every muscle, organ, vessel and nerve in the body

Fasciculusva small bundle. A term that is usually applied to collections of nerve fibers

Filum: literally mean a “thread”. This name is given to several thread-like structures such as the filum terminale, the lower extension of the pia mater of the spinal cord

Fold: a ridge formed where a membrane doubles back on itself

Folium: mean leaf. The plural “folia” is applied to the folds of the cortex of the cerebellum

Foramen: a hole, often in a bone or between adjacent bones

Fossa: a “ditch”, usually referring to a shallow depression or cavity

Fovea: a small pit or foss

Frenulum: a small fold of the mucous coat which limits the movement of the structure to which it is attached

Fundus: used to denote the widest part of a hollow organ

The following web site does a great job of relating this information: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatplanes.htm

The following web site does a great job of relating this information: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatplanes.htm

I have high-hopes that blogging about this subject will assist in cementing this knowledge in my (already full) cranium:

The following web site does a great job of relating this information: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatplanes.htm

For me, personally, memorizing the bones of the skull has been the most challenging part of the ossuary system. Granted, I’m sure there are folks out there who would find the entire 200+ bones of the skeletal system to be a pickle to remember, but I’m choosing to focus on my own particular area of weakness.

Frontal Bone (front) Occipital Bone (back) Parietal Bone (across the top) Temporal Bones (temples) Sphenoid Bone (sides of the eye sockets) Zygomatic Bones (cheeks) Nasal (nose) Lacrimal (around eye sockets) Maxillae (upper jaw) Mandible (lower jaw)

Image Credit: http://www.scienceartandmore.com/ProductImages/ACH/3763.jpg

Memorizing all of the bones in the human body came relatively easy for me. Learning the muscle groups was somewhat more challenging, but still fairly straightforward. The planes of movement of the human body, on the other hand, was somewhat of a shot in the dark for a person, such as myself, who has enough difficulty keeping their left and right straight. I suspect the piece-meal approach is going to work best for me in terms of digesting information that does not make natural sense.

The following web site does a great job of relating this information: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatplanes.htm