Anatomy & Physiology Definitions

Vocab: Articulate

to join together as a joint

Condyle

rounded protuberance at end of a bone forming an articulation

Facet

a small smooth area on a bone or other hard surface

foramen

a passage or opening; an orifice, a communication between two cavities of an organ or a hole in a bone for passage of vessels

fossa

a furror or shallow depression

meatus

a passage or opening

process

a projection or outgrowht of bone or tissue

transverse

lying at right angles to the long axis of the body; crosswise

ramus

a branch; one of the divisions of a forked structure

mandibular

the verticel portion of mandible

spine

sharp process of a bone

suture

line of union in an immovable articulation as those between the skull bones

trochanter

either of the two bony processes below the neck of the femur (greater, lesser)

tubercle

small rounded elevation or eminence on a bone

tuberosity

an elevated round process of a bone, a tubercle or nodule

Antagonist

that which counteracts the aciton of something else, as a muscle. opposite of synergist

synergist

a muscle or organ functioning in cooperation w anaother as the flexor muscles. opposite of antagonist

bilateral

affecting or relating to 2 sides

unilateral

affecting or occuring only on 1 side

contralateral

origination in or affecting the same side of the body

ipsilateral

on the same side; affecting the same side of the body

origin

the source of anything, a starting point. the more fixated attachement of a muscle

insertion

the moveable attachment of the distal end of the muscle, which produces shape changes or skeletal movement when muscle contracts

Aponeurosis

a flat fibrous sheet of connective tissue that serves to attach muscle TO BONE or other tissue. may sometimes serve as fascia

bifurcation

a seperation into two branches; the point of forking

fascia

a fibrous meembarane covering, supporting, and seperating muscles. it aloso unites the skin with underlying tissue

reciprocal inhibition

inhibition of muscles antagonistic to those being facilitated; this is essential for coordinating movement

acute disease

when signs and syptoms appear suddenly and persist for a short time