Anatomy: Body Planes, Directions, and Bone Structures

Coronal plane

Any plane at right angles to the vertical planes that divide the body into front and back (synonym: frontal plane)

Caudal

Nearer the coccygeal region

Pronation

Rotating the forearm and hand medially so that the palm faces posteriorly

Facet

A smooth, flat or nearly flat articular surface

Line

A slight ridge

Sulcus

A groove or furrow

Cortex

Bark

Cubitus

Forearm

Adeno

Gland

Cysto

Sac; specifically gall bladder

Median plane

A vertical plane through the midline of the body, reaching the surface in front and behind. This plane divides the body into symmetrical right and left halves, except for a few unpaired visceral organs (synonyms: midsagittal plane, midline of the body)

Sagittal plane

Other vertical planes parallel to the median plane

Transverse section

Any section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the part of the body being studied (synonym: cross section)

Anterior

Nearer the front of the body (synonym: ventral)

Posterior

Nearer the back of the body (synonym: dorsal)

Medial

Nearer the median plane

Lateral

Farther from the median plane

Superior

Nearer the head (synonym: cranial, cephalic)

Inferior

Nearer the feet

Rostral

Nearer the beak, nearer the cerebrum

Superficial

Nearer the surface

Deep

Farther from the surface

Proximal

Nearer the trunk or nearer the point of attachment

Distal

Farther from the trunk or farther from the point of attachment

External

Towards or on the exterior

Internal

Towards or in the interior

Central

Nearer to or toward the center

Peripheral

Farther or away from the center

Parietal

Pertaining to the external wall of a body cavity

Visceral

Pertaining to the covering of an organ

Flexion

Bending or decreasing the angle between two body parts

Extension

Straightening or increasing the angle between two body parts

Abduction

Moving away from the median plane

Adduction

Moving toward the median plane

Rotation

Moving around the longitudinal axis of a body part

Circumduction

A circular movement combining flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction

Eversion

Moving the sole of the foot away from the median plane

Inversion

Moving the sole of the foot towards the median plane

Supination

Rotating the forearm and hand laterally so that the palm faces anteriorly

Protraction

Moving a part of the body anteriorly in the horizontal plane (as in sticking the chin out)

Retraction

Moving a part of the body posteriorly in the horizontal plane (as in tucking in the chin)

Alveolus

A small cavity; used to define a tooth socket

Canal

A tubular channel through a bone

Crest

A bony ridge

Condyle

An articular eminence

Foramen

A perforation through a bone; the end of a canal

Fossa

A shallow depression

Fissure

A narrow, cleft-like passage

Linea

A line, marked by either a low crest or a depression

Head

A large, rounded articular end of a bone, often set off from the shaft by a neck

Meatus

A passageway; a large foramen; used particularly for an external opening of a canal

Process

A bony projection

Sinus

An air space in a bone

Spine

A sharp process

Suture

A line or junction of neighboring bones

Trochanter

Each of two processes below the neck of a femur; a nodular process with a flat top; a small, rounded eminence with a flat top

Trochlea

A pulley-shaped structure

Tubercle

A nodular process; a small rounded eminence

Tuberosity

A large, often rough, eminence (often used synonymously with tubercle)

Axilla

Armpit

Brachium

Arm

Carpus

Wrist

Corona

Crown

Corpus

Body

Cutaneous

Skin

Genu

Knee

Labium

Lip (pl. labia)

Manus

Hand

Medulla

Marrow

Mentum

Chin

Oculus, opthalmos

Eye

Palmar

Palm of the hand

Pes

Foot

Plantar

Sole of the foot

Plexus

Braid, network of interjoining structures

Pollex

Thumb

Porta

Gate

Ramus

Branch

Rectus

Straight

Rhin, rhis

Nose

Soma

Body

Squama

Scale

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