Module 1: Introduction and Basic Concepts

Abduction

Moving away from the midline

Adduction

Moving towards the midline

Peri-

Means "around”

Superior

On top of

Inferior

Below

Cranial (rostral)

Towards the head

Caudal

Towards the tail

Anterior (ventral)

Front of body or structure

Posterior (dorsal)

Back of body or structure

Medial

Towards the midline

Lateral

Away from the midline

Origin

Start of the structure, fixed structure of the muscle

Insertion

Target location of the structure, point of attachment that is moveable

Proximal

Closer to the origin

Distal

Further away from the origin

Superficial

Closer to the outer surface

Deep

Away from the outer surface

Central

Towards the centre

Peripheral

Toward the periphery

Intermediate

In between central and peripheral

Prone

Horizontal, face down

Supine

Horizontal, face up

Unilateral

One side

Bilateral

Both sides

Ipsilateral

Same side

Contralateral

Opposite side

Flexion

Bending at a joint

Extension

Straightening of a joint

Elevation

Superior movement

Depression

Inferior movement

Protrusion (protraction)

Anterior movement (puckering lips)

Retrusion (retraction)

Posterior movement (smiling)

Supination

Rotation so that dorsum lies dorsally or inferiorly

Pronation

Rotation so that the dorsum lies ventrally or superiorly

Epithelial tissue

Outer layer of mucous membranes; form a barrier to infectious agents, prevent loss of moisture

Connective tissue

Consist of cartilage, bone, blood, and fat

Cartilage

Strong and elastic, shock absorption, provides structure

Bone

Hardest connective tissue, forms the skeleton (average 206 bones), provides protection

Muscular

Provides movement through contraction

Cilia

Microscopic hair-like structures that move back and forth that help move foreign substances out of the structure. Helps move mucus out of the upper airway

Axial skeleton

Has 80 bones; supports the central portion of the body (skull, vertebral column, thoracic cage)

Appendicular skeleton

126 bones; consists of the upper and lower limbs

Girdles

Connect the appendicular to the axial skeleton; pectoral girdles and pelvic girdle

Neurocranium

Upper part of the skull that encloses your brain, includes 8 cranial bones (frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, occipital, sphenoid and ethmoid)

Viscerocranium

Lower part of the skull which contains 14 facial bones (mandible, 2 maxilla bones, 2 palatine bones, 2 zygomatic bone, 2 nasal bones, vomer, 2 inferior nasal conchae, 2 lacrimal bones)

Mandible

The lower jawbone; it holds the lower teeth and is the main movable bone of the jaw

Maxillary bone (maxilla)

The upper jawbone; it holds the upper teeth and forms part of the nose, eye socket, and hard palate

Palatine bones

Two internal bones that form the back part of the hard palate (roof of the mouth)

Zygomatic bone

The cheekbone; forms part of the cheek, eye socket, and side of the face

Lacrimal bone

A small, thin bone on the inner side of the eye socket that helps form the wall of the orbit and contains the tear (lacrimal) duct

Foramen magnum

Exit for the spinal cord from the brain

Fontanel

A soft, flexible area between the skull bones of a newborn where the bones have not yet fully fused. It allows the skull to expand as the brain grows

Suture

Immovable joints between the bones of the skull that connect and hold the skull bones together.

Anterior fontanelle

The largest soft spot (fontanelle) on a newborn’s skull; closes in infants by the time they reaches the age of 2 in most cases

Posterior fontanelle

A small soft spot at the back of a newborn’s skull; closes within the first 2 months after birth

Vertebral column

33 bones (vertebrae); houses and protects the spinal nerve roots and spinal cord

Spinal cord

A long bundle of nerves that runs from the brain through the vertebral column and carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body (ends somewhere between T12 and L3)

Abdominal cavity

Houses visceral organs; separated from the thoracic space by the diaphragm muscle

Thoracic cage

The bony structure of the chest made up of the ribs, sternum, and thoracic vertebrae; it protects the heart and lungs

Intercostal spaces

The spaces between the ribs, containing muscles and nerves that help with breathing and movement of the chest wall

Sternum

The breastbone; a flat bone in the center of the chest that connects to the ribs

Anatomical orientation

You look at the top of the brain (Left is left, right is right)

Clinical orientation

You look at the brain from the person’s feet (Left is right, right is left)