Regional and Directional Terms, Planes, and Body Cavities

Abdominal

Stomach

Antecubital

Front of Elbow

Axillary

Armpit

Brachial

Upper Arm

Buccal

Cheek

Calcaneal

Heel

Carpal

Wrist

Cephalic

Head

Cervical

Neck

Coxal

Hips

Digital

Fingers / Toes

Femoral

Upper Leg

Gluteal

Buttocks

Inguinal

Between Pelvic and Pubic

Lumbar

Lower Back

Nasal

Nose

Occipital

Back of Head

Olecranal

Back of Elbow

Oral

Mouth

Orbital

Eyes

Patellar

Front of Knee

Pelvic

Beltline / Inferior to Umbilical (Belly Button)

Popliteal

Back of Knee

Sacral

End of Spine

Scapular

Shoulder Blades

Sternal

Breast Bone

Tarsal

Ankle

Thoracic

Chest

Umbilical

Belly Button

Vertebral

Spine

Anterior/Ventral

front of the body

Posterior/Dorsal

back of body

Inferior

lower (beside limbs)

Superior

higher (besides limbs)

Medial

toward the midline

Lateral

towards the sides

Distal

lower (limbs)

Proximal

higher (limbs)

Superficial

near the surface

Deep

Away from the body surface; more internal

Transverse/Axial Plane

Cut horizontally

Coronal Plane

Cut down the middle (front and back of body split)

Sagittal Plane

Cut vertically

cranial cavity

the space formed inside the skull

vertebral cavity

contains the spinal cord

thoracic cavity

contains heart and lungs

abdominal cavity

Contains stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver, and other organs

pelvic cavity

Contains urinary bladder, reproductive organs

Median/Mid-Sagittal Plane

Divides the body vertically into equal left and right portions

cranial cavity

space formed by the bones of the skull; contains the brain and protects it from bumps and bruises

vertebral cavity

space formed by the bones of the vertebral column; contains the spinal cord

thoracic cavity

chest; contains the heart and the lungs; enclosed by the ribs and provides space for the lungs to expand and contract inside the cavity

abdominal cavity

largest hollow space of the body; contains the stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, small intestine, and most of the large intestine

pelvic cavity

bowl-like structure that sits below the abdominal cavity; contains the bladder and internal reproductive organs