Basic Elements of Anatomy

Anatomical Position

the body is erect, and the palms, arms and hands face forward

Prone

the body is lying face down

Supine

the body is lying face up

Axial Skeleton

Skull, trunk/torso, and dorsal trunk (back)

Appendicular Skeleton

upper extremity (arms, wrists, hands) lower extremity (legs, ankles, feet, pelvis)

Coronal (Frontal) Plane

Plane creating front and back halves (midsagittal sections)

Median/Sagittal (Lateral) Plane

Median plane creating left and right halves (midsagittal sections); Sagittal plane is any plane parallel to median plane (sagittal sections)

Transverse (Axial) Plane

plane creating upper and lower halves (transverse sections)

Anterior

before/in front of

Ventral

“of belly”

Posterior

after/in the back of

Dorsal

‘dorsum’ = toward the back of the body

Medial

nearer to the midline of the body (ex. the sternum is medial to the arm)

Lateral

farther away from the midline of the body (ex. the arm is lateral to the vertebrae)

Superior

above/farther from the ground (ex the eyebrows are superior to the eye)

Cranial

toward the head

Rostral

toward the nose

Inferior

below/closer to the ground (ex the mouth is inferior /caudal to the nose)

Caudal

away from the head/toward the tail (ex the mouth is inferior/caudal to the nose)

Ipsilateral

on the same side of the body

Contralateral

on the opposite side of the body

Adduct

move toward the midline

Abduct

move away from the midline

Proximal

closer to the trunk or attached end

Distal

further from the trunk or attached end

Tissue

aggregate of cells of the same type with functional unity

Areolar Tissue (connective - loose)

supports and connects organs and other tissues

Adipose Tissue (connective - loose)

specialized areolar tissue rich in stored fat

Hyaline Cartilage (connective - supportive)

smooth, supportive, and somewhat flexible (allows support without the rigidity of bone)

Fibrocartilage (connective - supportive)

tough, shock-absorbing cartilage that resists compression (between vertebrae of the spinal column)

Yellow/Elastic Cartilage (connective - supportive)

less collagen and more elastic fibers than other cartilage

types (i.e., outer ear, nose, epiglottis)