Anatomical Directions, Body Planes, and Cavities

Physiology

Anatomical Position

the standard universal reference point to describe a body; upright

Supine

laying on the back; face and upper body facing upwards, palms facing downwards

Prone

laying on the stomach; face facing to the side, upper body facing downwards, palms facing upwards

Proximal

nearer to the center (trunk of the body) or to the point of attachment to the body

Distal

parts of the body further away from the center

Lateral

to the side of, or away from, the middle of the body

Medial

toward the middle or center

Superior

above or over top of

Inferior

below or toward the feet

Caudal

pertaining to the tail/posterior end

Cephalic/Cranial

relating to the head or the head end of the body

Anterior

front side of the body

Posterior

back side of the body

Dorsal

relating to the back or posterior of a structure

Ventral

relating to the belly; abdominal

Anteromedial aspect of your left knee

front of the left knee

Posterolateral aspect of your right elbow

back of the right elbow

Sagittal

divides the body or organ vertically into right and left unequal parts.

associated words: medial, lateral, proximal and distal

Midsagittal

divides the body or organ vertically into equal right and left parts

Frontal/Coronal

a vertical plane dividing the body or an organ into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections

Transverse

a horizontal plane dividing the body or an organ into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) sections

Dorsal cavity

located on the posterior/dorsal surface of the body and surrounds the brain and the spinal cord

Cranial Cavity

the bones of the skull create the cranial cavity to protect the brain

Spinal (Vertebral) Cavity

formed by the vertebrae of the spine and surrounds the spinal cord

Ventral Cavity

located on the anterior/ventral surface of the body which contains the chest and abdomen. The walls are composed of skin, muscle, connective tissue, bone (for two cavities), and the serous membrane

Thoracic Cavity

the portion of ventral cavity superior to the diaphragm.

Pleural Cavities

the spaces surrounding each lung

Mediastinum

a broad middle tissue mass of the thoracic cavity dividing the lungs into two cavities. It includes the aorta, other great blood vessels, esophagus, trachea, thymus, pericardial cavity, and heart

Pericardial Cavity

space in which the heart is located

Abdominopelvic Cavity

the portion of the ventral cavity inferior to the diaphragm

Abdominal Cavity

The superior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity. It extends from the diaphragm to the superior margin of the pelvic girdle. The abdominal cavity contains the organs known as the viscera which include the stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, and most of the large intestine.

Pelvic Cavity

The pelvic cavity is surrounded by the pelvic bones. The pelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, cecum, appendix, sigmoid colon, rectum, and the male or female internal reproductive organs.

Abdominal Quadrants

Right upper quadrant (RUQ)

Left upper quadrant (LUQ)

Right lower quadrant (RLQ)

Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

Epigastric

above the stomach

Umbilical

near the umbilicus or belly button

Hypogastric/pelvic

below the stomach

Hypochondriac

below the ribs

Lumbar/Lateral

near the large bones of the spinal cord

Iliac/inguinal

near the groin