Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab Terms

Axial

Structures along the midline of the body, including the head, neck, and trunk.

Appendicular

Limbs and their attachment to the axis.

Abdominal

Region of the anterior trunk between the ribs and the upper border of the hips.

Acromial

Point of the shoulder.

Antebrachial

Forearm (the lower portion of the upper limb).

Antecubital

Anterior surface of the elbow (the inside of the elbow).

Axillary

Armpit.

Brachial

Arm (the upper portion of the upper limb).

Buccal

Cheek.

Carpal

Wrist.

Cervical

Neck.

Coxal

Hip.

Gross Anatomy

Study of structures that can be seen with the naked eye.

Anatomical Position

Upright, facing forward with hands supinated (facing forward) and the arms hanging at the sides.

Crural

Leg (lower portion of the lower limb).

Digital

Fingers or toes.

Femoral

Thigh (the upper portion of the lower limb).

Frontal

Forehead.

Hallux

Big toe.

Inguinal

Groin.

Mammary

Breast.

Mental

Chin.

Nasal

Nose.

Oral

Mouth.

Orbital

Bony eye socket.

Palmar

Palm of the hand.

Patellar

Anterior knee (kneecap) region.

Pedal

Foot.

Pelvic

Pelvic region (between the upper edge of the hip and the groin).

Fibular (peroneal)

Side of the leg (lower portion)

Pollex

Thumb.

Pubic

Genital region.

Sternal

Region of the breastbone (center of the chest).

Tarsal

Ankle.

Thoracic

Chest (from the collar bone to the bottom of the ribs).

Umbilical

Navel (belly button).

Calcaneal

Heel of the foot.

Cephalic

Head.

Dorsum

Back (trunk only).

Gluteal

Buttocks or rump.

Lumbar

Region of the back between the lower edge of the ribs and the hips (the loin).

Occipital

Posterior aspect of the head or the base of the skull.

Olecranal

Posterior aspect of the elbow.

Otic

Ear.

Perineal

Region between the anus and the external genitalia.

Plantar

Sole of the foot.

Popliteal

Back of the knee.

Sacral

Region between the hips.

Scapular

Region overlying the shoulder blades.

Sural

Calf of the posterior surface of the leg (the lower portion of the lower limb).

Vertebral

Region overlying the spinal column.

Superior (Cephalad) / Inferior (Caudal)

Placement to the long axis of the body.

Medial / Lateral

Placement to the midline along the width of the body.

Proximal / Distal

Placement along a limb to the point of attachment of the limb to the rest of the body.

Anterior (Ventral) / Posterior (Dorsal)

Placement along the axis running from front to back.

Superficial / Deep

Placement within the body from the surface toward the interior of the body.

Longitudinal Section

Oriented parallel to the long axis of the body.

Frontal Section

Divide the body into an anterior (front) portion and a posterior (back) portion.

Sagittal Section

Divide the body into left and right portions.

Midsagittal (Median) Section

Midline of the body and divides the body into equal right and left halves.

Parasagittal Section

Parallel to the midline and divides the body into unequal right and left portions.

Cross Section (Transverse)

Perpendicular to the long axis of the body.

Oblique Section

Angle to the long axis of the body.

Dorsal Cavity

Dorsal side of the body and includes the cranial and spinal cavities.

Ventral Cavity

Ventral side of the body and contains a number of sub-cavities.

Thoracic Cavity

Superior and is bounded below by a muscular wall called the diaphragm.

Pleural Cavities

Enclose the lungs and are bounded by serous membranes called the pleura.

Mediastinum

Between the pleural cavities and encloses the esophagus and trachea.

Pericardial Cavity

Encloses the heart and is bounded by serious membrane called the pericardium.

Abdominopelvic Cavity

Includes the abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity. Bounded above the diaphragm.

Abdominal Cavity

Encloses most of the digestive organs. Bounded by a serous membrane called the peritoneum.

Pelvic Cavity

Encloses the reproductive organs. Bounded by the bony pelvis.

Parietal Serosa

Line the walls of a cavity.

Visceral Serosa

Line the organs within a cavity.

Total Magnification

Combination of lenses in the microscope. Can be determine by multiplying the power of the oculars and the objective.

Resolution

The ability to distinguish two closely spaced objects as separate.

Virtual Image

The optics of the microscope produce an image of the specimen projected onto the retina of your eye.

Field of View

Circular area visible through the oculars.

Working Distance

The distance between the bottom of the objective lens and the specimen.

Depth of Field

The depth through which the specimen is clearly in focus.

Parafocal

The ability of the microscope to stay in focus when adjusting the objective lens to a higher power.

Still learning (12)

You've started learning these terms. Keep it up!