Vocabulary Flashcards
Acetabulum
The socket portion of the ball-and-socket hip joint. It is formed at the junction of the ilium, ischium, and pubic bones of the pelvis.
Abduction
The joint movement whereby an extremity is moved AWAY from the median plane.
Adduction
The joint movement whereby n extremity is moved TOWARD the median plane.
Anconeal process
A beak-shaped process at the proximal end of the trochlear notch of the ulna. When it fails to unite with the ulna, an unnited anconeal process can cause the elbow joint to become unstable, leading to lameness.
Angle
The angle of the hoof wall as viewed from a lateral aspect when the foot is flat on the ground.
Antebrachium
The “forearm” region of the thoracic limb.
Appendicular Skeleton
The bones of the limbs (appendages).
Arthrodial joint
A gliding joint in which two flat, articular surfaces rock on each other. This type of joint usually allows only the movements of flexion and extension.
Articular cartilage
The thin layer of hyaline cartilage that covers the articular surfaces of long bones in synovial joints. it forms a smooth layer over the joint surfaces of the bones, which decreases friction and allows free joint movement.
Articular surface
The smooth joint surface of a bone that contacts another bone in a synovial joint.
Asternal rib
A rib whose costal cartilage joins the costal cartilage of the rib ahead instead of directly joining the sternum.
Atlas
The first cervical vertebra. It forms the atlantooccipital joint with the occipital bone of the skull and the atlantoaxial joint with the axis (the second cervical vertebra).
Axis
The second cervical vertebra. It forms the atlantoaxial joint with the first cervical vertebra, the atlas.
Axial Skeleton
The bones along the central axis of the body; made up of the skull, the hyoid bone, the spinal column, the ribs, and the sternum.
Ball-and-socket joint
Also called a spheroidal joint, it consists of a spherical joint surface (the ball) that fits into a closely matching, concave joint surface (the socket).
The shoulder and hip joints are ball-and-socket joints.
Ball-and-socket joints allow the greatest range of joint movement.
Barrel
Trunk of the body - formed by the rib cage and the abdomen.
Belly
The thick, central portion of a muscle.
Bone Cortex
The outer layer of a bone that is composed of compact bone.
Bone marrow
The soft material that fills the spaces inside bones. Two types of bone marrow are red bone marrow, which forms blood cells, and yellow bone marrow, which consists primarily of adipose connective tissue (fat).
Bones of the CRANIUM
The bones of the skull that surround the brain.
EXTERNALLY visible bones are the OCCIPITAL bone, the INTERPARIETAL bones, the parietal bones, the TEMPORAL bones, and the FRONTAL bones.
INTERNAL bones are the SPHENOID bones and the ETHMOID bone.
Bones of the FACE
The skull bones that do not surround the brain.
EXTERNALLY visible bones are the INCISIVE bones, the NASAL bones, the MAXILLARY bones, the LACRIMAL bones, the ZYGOMATIC bones, and the MANDIBLE.
INTERNAL bones are the PALATINE bones, the PTERYGOID bones, the VOMER bone, and the TURBINATES.
Brachium
The upper arm. The area of the thoracic limb between the elbow and the shoulder.
Brachycephalic
Short-faced.
Breeds of dogs include Boston Terriers, Pugs, English Bulldogs, and Pekingese.
Brisket
Area at the base of the neck between the front legs that covers the cranial end of the sternum.
Calcaneal tuberosity
Large process of the fibular tarsal bone that projects upward and backward; commonly referred to as the POINT of the HOCK; site of attachment of the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle; equivalent to the human heel.
Cancellous bone
Spongy bone.
Composed of a seemingly, random arrangement of SPICULES of bone separated by spaces filled with bone marrow.
Appears spongelike to the naked eye.
Found in the ends (epiphyses) of long bones and the interiors of short, flat, and irregular bones.
Cannon bones
The large metacarpal and metatarsal bones of the horse.
Carpal bones
The bones of the carpus.
Consists of two parallel rows of short bones located between the DISTAL ends of the RADIUS and ULNA and the PROXIMAL ends of the METACARPAL bones.
Carpus
The joint composed of the CARPAL bones.
Referred to as the “KNEE” of the horse and the “wrist” of humans.
Cartilaginous joint
A joint in which the bones are united by cartilage; also called AMPHIARTHROSIS.
Only a slight rocking motion permitted between the bones.
Cervical vertebrae
Bones of the NECK portion of the spinal column.
Circumduction
A joint motion whereby the distal end of an extremity moves in a circle.
Claws
Accessory appendages of the integumentary system, present mainly in carnivores, used for grasping prey and self-defense.
Coccygeal vertebrae
Bones of the TAIL portion of the spinal column.
Coccyx
The human “TAILBONE”. It consists of four to five coccygeal vertebrae fused into a solid structure.
Coffin bones
The DISTAL PHALANX bone of the horse.
Compact bone
Heavy, dense bone made up of tiny, tightly compacted, laminated cylinders of a bone called HAVERSIAN SYSTEMS; makes up the shafts (DIAPHYSES) of LONG bones and the OUTER surfaces of ALL bones.
Condyle
A large, rounded articular (JOINT) surface.
Examples are found on the DISTAL ends of the HUMERUS and FEMUR.
Cornual process
The “HORN CORE” of horned animals; a process of the FRONTAL bone. The hollow cavity within the cornual process is continuous with the FRONTAL SINUS (the paranasal sinus of the frontal bone).
Costal cartilage
The cartilaginous, ventral portion of a RIB.
Cranium
The cranial portion of the dorsal body cavity, formed from several SKULL bones.
It houses and protects the BRAIN.
It is the reference point for the directional term CRANIAL.
Cribriform plate
The sievelike area of the ETHMOID bone through which the many branches of the olfactory nerve pass from the upper portion of the nasal cavity to the olfactory bulbs of the brain.
Cricoid cartilage
One of the cartilages of the larynx. The cricoid cartilage is ring-shaped. It helps form and support the caudal portion of the larynx.
Dewclaw
A toe that doesnt reach the ground, such as the first digit of dogs and cats and the rudimentary medial and lateral toes of cattle.
Diaphysis
Shaft portion of a long bone.
Diarthrosis
Freely movable synovial joint.
Digit
A toe made up of two or three bones called phalanges.
Distal phalanx bone
The phalanx that is located most distally form the body; tip of the digit.
Distal Sesamoid bone
The NAVICULAR BONE of horses. It is located in the digital flexor tendon deep in the hoof behind the joint between the middle and distal phalanges.
Distal
a directional term used only for extremities of the body. It implies a position or direction AWAY FROM the body proper.
Dolichocephalic
Long-faced. The Rough Collie is an example.
Dorsal
a directional term meaning TOWARD THE TOP of an animal when it is standing on all four legs; toward the BACKBONE.
Dorsal body cavity
Space in the skull and spinal column that contains the brain and spinal cord.
The portion in the skull is called cranium and the portion in the spinal column is called the spinal cord.
Dorsal plane
an anatomic reference plane that divides the body into dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) parts that are not necessarily equal.
Endochondral Bone Formation
Type of bone formation whereby bone grows into and replaces a cartilage model.
This is the method by which most bones form in a developing fetus, starting with cartilage “prototypes” that are gradually replaced by bone. It is also the means by which long bones increase in length at the epiphyseal (growth) plates. New cartilage is created on the outside surfaces of the plates, and bone replaces old cartilage on the inside surfaces.
This allows the bones to INCREASE in LENGTH as the animal grows.
Endosteum
Fibrous membrane that lines hollow interiors of bones.
Epiphyseal plate
Growth plate of long bone.
Located at the junction of the proximal and distal epiphyses with the diaphysis.
Areas where long bones increase in length by the process of endochondral bone formation.
When animal reaches full size, the epiphyseal plates of its bones completely ossify and the bones cease their growth.
Epiphysis
End of long bones.
Each long bone has a proximal and distal epiphysis.
Ethmoid bone
a SKULL bone; an INTERNAL bone of the cranium.
Located just rostral (ahead of) the sphenoid bone. It contains the cribriform plate, which transmits the many branches of the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb of the brain.
Eustachian tube
Tube that connects the middle ear cavity with the pharynx. It allows equalization of the air pressure on the two sides of the tympanic membrane.
External Acoustic Meatus
Bony canal in the temporal bone that leads into the middle and inner ear cavities of the bone. In the living animal, it contains the external ear canal.
Extension
Joint movement that increases the angle between two bones.
Fabella
One of two small sesamoid bones located in the proximal gastrocnemius (calf) muscle tendon just above and behind the femoral condyles of dogs and cats.
Facet
Flat, articular surface, for example those between carpal bones and between the radius and ulna.
Femur
Long bone of the thigh region. Forms the hi joint with the pelvis at its proximal end and the stifle joint with the tibia at its distal end.
Fetlock joint
Lay term for the most proximal joint of the equine digit, which is the joint between the large metacarpal or metatarsal and the proximal phalanx.
The proximal sesamoid bones are located on the palmar or plantar surface of this joint.
Fibrous joint
Immovable joint; aka SYNARTHROSIS.
Bones of a fibroud joint are firmly united by fibrous tissue.
The sutures that unite most of the skull bones are fibrous joints.
Fibula
Thin bone located beside the tibia in the lower region of the pelvic limb. It is complete bone in the dog and car, but on the proximal and distal ends are present in horses and cattle.
Does not support any appreciable weight, it mainly acts as a muscle attachment site.
Flank
Lateral surface of the abdomen between the last rib and the hind legs.
Flat bone
Relatively thin and flat bones.
Consists of two plates of compact bone separated by a thin layer of cancellous bone.
Many of the skull bones are flat.
Flexion
Joint movement that decreases the angle between two bones.
Floating Rib
Most caudal one or two ribs in the rib cage. A rib whose costal cartilage doesnt unite with anything but ends in the muscle of the thoracic wall.
Foramen
Hole in a bone.
plural = foramina
Foramen Magnum
Large hole in the occipital bone through which the spinal cord exits the skull.
Fossa
Depressed or sunken area on the surface of a bone. Fosae are usually occupied by muscles or tendons.
Frontal bones
Skull bones; EXTERNAL bones of cranium.
2 frontal bones make up the “forehead” region of skull.
They contain large frontal sinuses.
The cornual process (horn core)
in horned animals is an extension of the frontal bone.
Glenoid cavity
Concave articular surface of the scapula; socket portion of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint.
In birds, the wing is attached to the body by forming a joint in the depression.
Gliding joint
Arthrodial joint in which two flat articular surfaces rock on each other. The carpus is an example of a gliding joint.
Growth plate
Epiphyseal plate of a long bone. Located at the junction of proximal and distal epiphyses with the diaphysis.
Areas where long bones increase in length by process of endochondral bone formation.
When animal reaches full size, growth plates of its bones completely ossify and bones cease their growth.