Anatomy Unit One terms

Dr. Lawson Bio 290 JMU

study of the body, specifically external and internal anatomical features that can be seen by the naked eye.

gross, macroscopic anatomy

study of the constituents that make up the body such as tissues and cells which are invisible to the naked eye

microscopic anatomy

study of the structural changes throughout the life span with a special focus on embryology

developmental anatomy

study of the anatomical variation between structures

comparative anatomy

pharyngeal slits

tissue folds in pharynx give rise to multiple head and neck structures

segmentation

serial repeats of structures along longitudinal axis of body, example ribs

superior position

towards the head

inferior position

away from the head

medial position

midline of the body

lateral position

left or right away from the midline

anterior/ventral position

towards the belly

posterior/dorsal position

towards the back

proximal position

closer to the origin

distal position

away from origin of structure or torso

sagittal plane

vertical plane dividing body into right and left half

midsaggital plane

exactly middle

parasagittal plane

to each side of the midsag plane

frontal or coronal plane

vertical plane dividing structure into anterior and posterior

transverse plane

horizontal plane dividing body into superior and inferior sections

oblique plane

any diagonal plane

axial skeleton components

skull, vertebral column, ribs, sternum

appendicular skeleton components

pectoral, upper extremity, pelvic, lower extremity

process

a bony projection, often for attachment

foramen

an opening in a bone usually for a nerve or blood vessel

facet

smooth, flat, articular surface

notch

an indentation in a bone

tubercle

small rounded projection