Download Internal – inside the body

Body directions class notes
Principle of Health Science
2014-2015
BODY DIRECTIONS
Superior – upper, or above something
Inferior – lower, or below something
Anterior – front, in front of
Posterior- after, behind, following, towards the rear
Medial – towards the mid-line, middle, away from the side
Lateral – towards the side of the body- away from the mid-line
Proximal – toward or near the trunk of the bod, near the point of
attachment to the body
Distal – away from, father from the origin or attachment to the body
Dorsal – near the upper surface, toward the back
Ventral – toward the bottom, toward the belly
Cranial – refers to the head of the body
Caudal – means tail end
Internal – inside the body
Body directions class notes
I.
Principle of Health Science
2014-2015
BODY PLANES- refer to any slice or cut through a three-dimensional
structure allowing us to visualize relationships between those
parts.
a. Sagittal – divides the body or organ vertically into right and left unequal parts
b. Midsagittal – divides the body or organ vertically into equal right and left parts
c. Frontal/ coronal – a vertical plane dividing the body or an organ into anterior (front) and
posterior (back) sections
d. Transverse – a horizontal plane dividing the body or an organ into superior (upper) and
inferior (lower) sections
I.
BODY CAVITIES – Opening within the torso which contain organs, protect
delicate organs from accidental shocks and bumps, and permit the expansion
and contraction of organs without the disrupting the activities of other
organs
a. DORSAL CAVITY – posterior/dorsal surface of the body and surrounds the
brain and the spinal cord
i. Cranial cavity- surrounds and protects the brain
ii. Spinal (vertebral) cavity – surrounds and protects the spinal cord
b. VENTRAL CAVITY – located on the anterior/ ventral surface of the body
which contains the chest and abdomen.
i. Thoracic Cavity – the portion of ventral cavity superior to the diaphragm
1. Pleural cavities – spaces surrounding each lung
2. Mediastinum – a broad middle tissue mass of the thoracic cavity dividing the lungs
into two cavities
3. Pericardial cavity – space in which the heart is located
ii. Abdominopelvic cavity – the portion of the ventral cavity inferior to the diaphragm
1. Abdominal cavity – superior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity. Contains the
organs; stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, and most of the
large intestine
2. Pelvic cavity – the pelvic cavity is surrounded by the pelvic bones. Contains the
urinary bladder, cecum,appendix, sigmoid colon, rectum, and male or female internal
organs