Download anatomical position - Manasquan Public Schools

Anatomical Position
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Anatomical Position
body erect
 feet together
 arms hanging at
sides
 palms facing
forward

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Directional Terms
superior
 inferior
 anterior
 posterior
 medial
 lateral
 intermediate
 proximal

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ipsilateral
 contralateral
 distal
 superficial
 deep
 parietal
 visceral

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Superior
towards the head
 upper part of structure
 above
 Examples:
- forehead is superior to the nose
- lips are superior to the chin
- heart is superior to the liver

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Inferior
away from head end
 toward lower region of structure or body
 Examples:
- navel is inferior to the breastbone
- knee is inferior to the hip
- stomach is inferior to the lungs

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Anterior
towards the front
 in front of
 Examples:
- breast bone is anterior to the spine
- front teeth are anterior to the back teeth
- sternum is anterior to the heart

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Posterior
toward or at the back
 behind
 Examples
- heart is posterior to the sternum
- molars are posterior to the front or anterior
teeth
- esophagus is posterior to the trachea

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Medial
towards the midline
 inner side of
 Examples:
- head is medial to the arm
- ulna is on the medial side of the forearm

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Lateral
away from the midline
 towards the side
 Examples:
- eye is lateral to the bridge of the nose
- lungs are lateral to the heart

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Intermediate
between a more medial and more lateral
structure
 Examples:
- collar bone is intermediate between the
breast bone and the shoulder
- ring finger is intermediate between the
little and middle fingers

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Proximal
close to origin or point of attachment
 sides next to each other
 Examples:
- elbow is proximal to the wrist (closer to
the shoulder than that the wrist)
- humerus is proximal to the radius

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Ipsilateral
on same side of the body
 Examples:
- ring finger is ipsilsteral to the little or
middle fingers

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Contralateral
on the opposite side of the body
 Examples:
- ascending and descending colons of the
large intestine are contralateral

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Distal
farthest from origin
 Examples:
- knee is distal to thigh
- wrist is distal to shoulder
- phalanges are distal to the carpals (wrist
bones)

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Superficial
towards the surface
 Examples:
- skin is superficial to the skeleton
- muscles of the thoracic wall are superficial
to the lungs

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Deep
more internal
 Examples:
- heart is deep in relation to the skin
- nasal sinuses are deep in relation to the
nose

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Parietal
pertaining to or forming the outer wall of
a body cavity
 Example:
- parietal pleura forms the outer layer of
the pleural sacs that surround the lungs

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Visceral
pertaining to the covering of an organ
within the ventral body cavity
 Example:
- visceral pleura forms the inner layer of
the pleural sacs and covers the external
surface of the lungs

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Body Planes

imaginary lines used to divide body into
sections
- sagittal
- mid-sagittal
- frontal
- transverse
- oblique
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Sagittal
vertical plane
 lengthwise
 longitudinal
 divides the body
into right and left
portions

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Mid-sagittal
midline
 divides the body
into equal right
and left portions

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Frontal
(coronal)
right angles to
sagittal plane
 divides the body
into anterior and
posterior portions

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Transverse
(horizontal)

divides the body
into superior and
inferior regions
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Oblique

an oblique plane
passes at an
angle between
transverse and
frontal planes or
between
transverse and
sagittal planes
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