Download BASIC ANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY ANATOMICAL POSITION

BASIC ANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY
ANATOMICAL POSITION:
1. Stands erect
2. Head level and eye facing directly anteriorly
3. Feet flat on the floor and directed anteriorly
4. Upper limbs at the side of the body with palms turned forward
 Prone: body lying face down
 Supine: body is lying face up
REGIONAL NAMES:
Head
 Skull- encloses and protects the brain
 Face- eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, cheeks
and chin
Neck- supports the head and attaches it to the
trunk
Trunk
 Chest
 Abdomen
 Pelvis
Upper limbs- attaches to the trunk
 Shoulder
 Armpit
DIRECTIONAL TERMS:
Superior/Cephalic/ Cranial
Inferior/ Caudal
Anterior/ Ventral
Posterior/ Dorsal
Medial
Lateral
Intermediate
 Arm
 Forearm
 Wrist
 Hand
Lower limbs-attaches to the trunk
 Buttock
 Thigh
 Leg
 Ankle
 Foot
 Groin- area on the front surface of the body
marked by a crease on each side, where the
trunk attaches to the thighs
Ipsilateral
Contralateral
Proximal
Distal
Superficial/ External
Deep/ Internal
PLANES AND SECTIONS
1. Sagittal plane- vertical plane that divides the body or an organ into right and left sides
 Midsagittal/ Median plane- equal right and left
 Parasagittal- unequal right and left
2. Frontal or Coronal- divides the body or an organ into anterior and posterior portions
3. Transverse/ Cross sectional/ Horizontal plane- divides the body or an organ into a superior and inferior protions
4. Oblique- passes through the body or an organ at an angle between transverse and sagittal plane or between
transverse and frontal plane
BODY CAVITIES: spaces within the body that help protect, separate, and support internal organs
 Bones, muscles, ligaments and other structures separate the various body cavities form one another
1. Cranial Cavity: contains the brain
2. Vertebral/ spinal cavity: cpntains the spinal cord, 3 layers of meninges
3. Thoracic cavity- formed by the ribs, the muscles of the chest, sternum and the thoracic portion of vertebral
column
4. Paricardial cavity- fluid filled space that surround the heart
5. Pleural cavity- 2 fluid filled spaces that surround each lung
6. Mediastinum- central part of thoracic cavity
 Contains all thoracic organs except the lungs
7. Abdominopelvic cavity- extends from diaphragm to the groin, encircled by abdominal wall and the bones
and muscles of the pelvis
 Abdominal cavity- superior portion, contains stomach, spleen , liver, gall bladder, small intestine,
most of the large intestine
 Pelvic cavity- inferior portion, contains urinary bladder, portions of large intestine and internal
organs of the reproductive system
Viscera- organs inside the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities