Final answer:
Anatomical terms in medicine are made up of roots, prefixes, and suffixes that help describe the body. Anatomists use a standard anatomical position to reduce confusion in describing the body. Certain directional anatomical terms are used to describe the relative locations of body structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anatomical terms are made up of roots, prefixes, and suffixes. The root of a term often refers to an organ, tissue, or condition, whereas the prefix or suffix often describes the root. 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.
To further increase precision, anatomists standardize the way in which they view the body. The standard position is that of the body standing upright, with the feet at shoulder width and parallel, toes forward. The upper limbs are held out to each side, and the palms of the hands face forward. Using this standard position reduces confusion.
Certain directional anatomical terms are essential for describing the relative locations of different body structures. For instance, an anatomist might describe one band of tissue as "inferior to" another or a physician might describe a tumor as "superficial to" a deeper body structure. It is important to commit these terms to memory to avoid confusion when studying or describing the locations of particular body parts.