ABSTRACT
In this study, the origin of anatomical terms, the process by which international anatomical terms were made, and the making principles of international anatomical terminology were confirmed. We also describe the process in which the Japanese anatomy terminology (Termonologia Anatomica Japonica), which has been influential in Korea, has developed. Most of the past Korean anatomical terminology used the Japanese term. However, the Korean association of anatomists gradually recognized the necessity of own terminology and decided to refine the terms by forming a terminology committee. The terminology committee first laid down the direction for refining terms and made the basic principles of revising them. Through many meetings, the terms were refined and made into terminology book (Korean anatomical terminology). The Korean anatomical terminology has been revised five times since its first edition in 1979 to the sixth edition in 2014. Here, we illustrate the difference between Japanese terms and Korean terms and the process of refining Korean terms using examples.