Basic Anatomical Terms/Body Systems

Anatomical Position

Refers to the body position as if the person were standing upright with the:
o Head, gaze (eyes), and toes directed anteriorly (forward)
o Arms adjacent to the sides with the palms facing anteriorly
o Lower limbs close together with the feet parallel the back, face upward

Supine

recumbent, lying on the back, face upward

Prone

lying on the abdomen, face downward

plane

Motion occurs in a

Sagittal Planes

vertical planes passing through the body, parallel to the median
plane, diving the body into right and left portions

Median Plane (median sagittal plane)

is the vertical anteroposterior plane passing longitudinally through the midlines of the head, neck, and trunk where it intersects the surface of the body, dividing it into right and left halves

Frontal (coronal) planes

vertical planes passing through the body at right angles to the median plane, dividing the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions

Transverse Planes

horizontal planes passing through the body at right angles to
the median and frontal planes, dividing the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions

axis

Motion occurs about an

Sagittal (Ant Post) Axis

runs front to back (perpendicular to frontal planes)

Longitudinal (vertical) axis

runs up and down (perpendicular to sagittal planes)

Transverse (horizontal, medial lateral) axis

runs from side to side, perpendicular to sagittal planes

Longitudinal sections

run lengthwise or parallel to the long axis of the body or of any of its parts, and the term applies regardless of the position of the body

Transverse sections

or cross sections, are slices of the body or its parts that are cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body or of any of its parts.

Oblique Sections

slices of the body or any of its parts that are not cut along
the previously listed anatomical planes.

Inferomedial

nearer to the feet and median plane

Superolateral

nearer to the head and further from the median plane

External

outside of or further from the center of organ or cavity

Internal

inside or closer to the center, independent of direction

ipsilateral

occurring on the same side

Contralateral

occurring on the opposite side

Flexion and extension

Bending and straightening occurs in sagittal plane

Abduction and adduction

away from median plane; toward median plane —> occurs in frontal plane

Medial rotation (internal)

anterior surface of a limb moves towards

Lateral (external) rotation

Anterior surface of a limb moves away from median plane

Fascia

constitutes the wrapping, packing, and insulating materials of the body.

Superficial fascia

(subcutaneous tissue) lies just deep to the skin

Deep Fascia

a dense, organized connective tissue layer, devoid of fat, that covers most of the body

Investing fascia

Extensions from its internal surface invest deeper structures, such as individual muscles and neurovascular bundles

Axial skeleton

consists of the bones of the head (cranium or skull), neck (hyoid bone and cervical vertebrae), and trunk (ribs, sternum, vertebrae,
and sacrum

Appendicular skeleton

consists of the bones of the limbs, including those forming the pectoral (shoulder) and pelvic girdles.

Elevations

crest, tubercle, tuberosity, spine, line process

Depressions

sulcus, groove, fossa

Openings (holes)

canal, foramen

Articular surfaces

facets, head, condyle

fibrous, cartilaginous and synovial

3 types of joints

Synovial joints

classified according to the shape of the articulating surfaces and/or the type of movement they permit

• joint cavity w/ potential space

• walls formed by joint capsule

• presence of articular cartilage

• small amount of synovial fluid

Synovial Joints are characterized by the following

Capsular ligaments

intrinsic thickened parts of the fibrous capsule, but ligaments can also be found outside of the capsule or joint.

Skeletal Muscle

striated, voluntary (or reflexive), and variable in gross size and shape

Origin

typically fixed and proximal

Insertion

typically mobile and distal

bones, cartilages, ligaments, or fascias or to some combination of these structures

Most skeletal muscles are attached directly or indirectly to

Concentric

Muscle shortening

Eccentric

Controlled muscle lengthening

Isometric

maintain position against gravity or other resisting force without movement

Agonist

(prime mover) is the main muscle responsible for producing a specific movement
of the body

Fixator

steadies the proximal
parts of a limb through isometric contraction while movements are occurring in distal parts

Synergist

complements the action of a prime mover.

Antagonist

a muscle that opposes the action of another muscle

prime mover, antagonist, synergist, or fixator under different conditions.
The actual prime mover in a given position may be gravity

The same muscle may act as a

muscular and
muscular and articular branches, respectively

Muscles and joints get their blood supply and innervation through

contact

Arteries generally supply the structures they

Hilton’s Law

the course of the arteries and deduce that a muscle is supplied by all the arteries in its vicinity

nearly constant relationship

Variation in the nerve supply of muscles is rare; it is a

Articular Arteries

Joints receive blood from _______ _______ that arise from the vessels around the joint. they have a rich nerve supple

Systemic circulation

the aorta and it’s branches and correlating veins

anastomose

communicate with other branches

Arteries

have origins (start of a branch), terminal branches (end), and they anastomose

accompanying veins (venae comitantes)

Those that accompany deep arteries, surround them in irregular branching network

Deep veins

found within and around the skeletal muscle inside the deep fascia

Superficial veins

external to the deep fascia and are highly variable

Lymphoid System

drains surplus fluid from the extracellular spaces to the bloodstream, It removes debris from cellular decomposition and infection, and is thus a major part of the body’s defense system

lymph node chains that, in turn, empty into large lymph vessels, or trunks, that drain into the subclavian vein of the vascular system

Lymphatic vessels drain into

Lymph

tissue fluid that enters lymph capillaries and is conveyed by lymphatic vessels

Lymph nodes

rounded masses of lymphoid tissue; are scattered
throughout the body and located in groups, like in the armpit, groin, neck,
pelvis, and abdomen

Metastasis

can occur via lymphatic vessels, thus the pattern of cancerous lymph
node involvement follows the natural routes of lymph drainage