Anatomical Terminology and Planes

Vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical positions, planes, regions, quadrants, and imaging terms from the lecture notes.

Anatomical position

Standard reference posture: body standing with feet together, arms at the sides, and palms facing forward.

Supine

Lying on the back; face up.

Prone

Lying face down.

Anterior (ventral)

Toward the front of the body; belly side (in humans, opposite of posterior).

Posterior (dorsal)

Toward the back of the body; backside (dorsal).

Superior

Above; toward the head.

Inferior

Below; toward the feet.

Medial

Toward the midline of the body.

Lateral

Away from the midline; toward the sides.

Dorsal

Toward the back; the back side (often synonymous with posterior in humans).

Ventral

Toward the front; the belly side (often synonymous with anterior in humans).

Rostral

Toward the top of the spinal cord.

Caudal

Toward the bottom of the spinal cord.

Proximal

Toward the point of attachment of a limb to the trunk.

Distal

Away from the point of attachment of a limb to the trunk.

Superficial

Toward or near the body surface.

Deep

Toward the interior of the body; farther from the surface.

Frontal (coronal) plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior portions; a frontal section.

Sagittal plane

Vertical plane dividing the body into left and right portions.

Midsagittal plane

Sagittal plane that lies along the midline, dividing the body into equal right and left sides.

Parasagittal plane

Sagittal plane offset from the midline; divides body into unequal right and left portions.

Transverse plane

Horizontal plane that divides the body into superior and inferior portions; a cross section.

Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)

One of the four abdominopelvic quadrants: the upper-right region.

Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)

One of the four abdominopelvic quadrants: the upper-left region.

Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)

One of the four abdominopelvic quadrants: the lower-right region.

Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)

One of the four abdominopelvic quadrants: the lower-left region.

Epigastric region

Upper middle abdominopelvic region above the stomach.

Umbilical region

Central region around the navel.

Hypogastric (pubic) region

Lower middle region below the stomach (pubic area).

Right lumbar region

Middle-right region of the abdomen.

Right inguinal region

Lower-right region near the groin.

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging; uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed cross-sectional images without ionizing radiation.

CT

Computed tomography; uses X-rays and computer processing to produce cross-sectional images, often of the abdomen.