Directional Terminology + Body Cavities (lab 1)

Superior/Inferior placement

Superior is up towards the head (like forehead is superior to nose)

Inferior is down to the toes (nose is inferior to to forehead)

Proximal/Distal placement

closer to the origin or point of attachment of the limb to the trunk (elbow is proximal to the wrist)

farther from origin or point of attachment of the limb to the trunk

Anterior/Posterior placement

toward front of the body (the breastbone is anterior to the spine)

toward the back side (shoulder blades are posterior to the chest)

Medial/Lateral placement

toward the midline of the body (the breastbone is medial to the ribs)

away from the midline of the body (ears are lateral to the nose)

Superficial/Deep placement

toward the surface of the body (skin is superficial to the skeletal muscles)

away from the surface of the body (lungs are deep to the ribcage)

planes of section longitudinal

longitudinal: cuts or slices made parallel to the long(vertical axis) axis

frontal/coronal sections: cuts into front and back pieces

sagittal: cuts into left and right

Sagittal sections

divides the body into right and left section

midsagittal: directly in middle

parasagittal: not directly in middle

Cross/transverse section

lies perpendicular to the long axis of the body

Oblique section

section at an angle, along the long axis

two main cavities that house the internal organs

dorsal (yellow) and ventral

dorsal cavity and cavities within

lies along dorsal side of body, includes cranial and spinal cavity

cranial - includes brain

spinal - includes spinal cord

ventral cavity

lies along ventral side of body and contains many sub cavities like thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities

thoracic cavity

superior in ventral cavity and bounded below by the diaphragm

includes two pleural cavities (enclose the lungs and bounded by serous membranes called pleura)

mediastinum in middle (divided into superior mediastinum and pericardial cavity which is bounded by pericardium)

abdominopelvic cavity - includes abdominal and pelvic cavity, all bounded by diaphragm above