Lab 1 - Body Plan and Organization

Practice flashcards covering anatomical position, planes, directional terms, body cavities, and abdominopelvic regions and quadrants.

What is the standard anatomical position?

A standing position with feet slightly apart, toes pointing forward, and arms pointing towards the ground with palms facing forward.

When viewing a person or cadaver, how are "right" and "left" determined?

Right and left are always determined from the point of view of the person or cadaver being viewed, not the observer.

What is an anatomical plane?

A flat surface examined in anatomical studies, created by cutting through a body structure.

How does the sagittal plane divide the body?

It is a vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts.

What is the mid-sagittal plane?

A vertical plane located directly at the body's midline.

How does the frontal plane divide the body?

It is a vertical plane that divides the body into ventral (anterior) and dorsal (posterior) parts.

How does the transverse plane divide the body, and what is another term for it?

It is a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior and inferior parts; it is also called a cross section.

What does the anatomical directional term "superior" mean?

Towards the upper part of a structure or the body; above.

What does the anatomical directional term "inferior" mean?

Towards the lower part of a structure or the body; below.

What does the anatomical directional term "anterior" (ventral) mean?

Towards the front of the body; in front of.

What does the anatomical directional term "posterior" (dorsal) mean?

Towards the back of the body; behind.

What is the difference between "medial" and "lateral"?

Medial means towards the midline of the body, whereas lateral means away from the midline of the body.

What is the difference between "proximal" and "distal"?

Proximal means closer to the origin of the body part or attachment point to the body trunk, whereas distal means farther away from the origin or attachment point.

What is the difference between "superficial" and "deep"?

Superficial means towards the body surface, while deep means away from the body surface.

Which two sub-cavities compose the dorsal body cavity, and what organs do they contain?

The cranial cavity (contains the brain) and the vertebral cavity (contains the spinal cord).

What muscle separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity?

The diaphragm.

What cavities are contained within the thoracic cavity?

The superior mediastinum, pleural cavity, and pericardial cavity within the mediastinum.

What organs are contained in the abdominal cavity versus the pelvic cavity?

The abdominal cavity contains digestive viscera, while the pelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, reproductive organs, and rectum.

What are the four abdominopelvic quadrants?

Right upper quadrant (RUQ), Left upper quadrant (LUQ), Right lower quadrant (RLQ), and Left lower quadrant (LLQ).

What are the nine abdominopelvic regions?

Right hypochondriac region, Epigastric region, Left hypochondriac region, Right lumbar region, Umbilical region, Left lumbar region, Right iliac (inguinal) region, Hypogastric (pubic) region, and Left iliac (inguinal) region.