Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology Practice Test

Med- signals middle. It comes from Latin medius, meaning the center or midline of the body. In medical terms, med- is used to describe positions toward the midline, such as medial meaning toward the center. A classic example is the mediastinum, the central compartment in the chest between the lungs. This is the opposite direction from lateral (toward the side) and far from outer or between. So med- denotes middle.