Just as the brain and spinal cord make up a continuous, uninterrupted structure, the cranial and spinal cavities that house them are also continuous. In the posterior (dorsal) cavity, the cranial cavity houses the brain, and the spinal cavity (or vertebral cavity) encloses the spinal cord. The posterior (dorsal) and anterior (ventral) cavities are each subdivided into smaller cavities. Subdivisions of the Posterior (Dorsal) and Anterior (Ventral) Cavities
Anterior (or ventral) Describes the front or direction toward the front of the body.For example, in the disorder hypertension, the prefix “hyper-” means “high” or “over,” and the root word “tension” refers to pressure, so the word “hypertension” refers to abnormally high blood pressure. The root of a term often refers to an organ, tissue, or condition, whereas the prefix or suffix often describes the root. Because these languages are no longer used in everyday conversation, the meaning of their words does not change.Īnatomical terms are made up of roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Anatomical terms derive from ancient Greek and Latin words. For example, is a scar “above the wrist” located on the forearm two or three inches away from the hand? Or is it at the base of the hand? Is it on the palm-side or back-side? By using precise anatomical terminology, we eliminate ambiguity. However, the purpose of this language is not to confuse, but rather to increase precision and reduce medical errors. Anatomists and health care providers use terminology that can be bewildering to the uninitiated.