Anatomy and Physiology 1- Basic Location Terminology

First terms to understand placement in the body

Correct anatomical position

• standing upright facing forward

• feet parallel and flat on the ground

• Arms straight down at the sides with palms facing forward

• Body is labeled as Right |Left side in this position instead of (Left| Right)

Anterior

front of the body

Posterior

back of body

Dorsal

back of body (synonym for posterior) *remember ____ fin on fish

Ventral

Front of the body (synonym for anterior) *remember vent → lungs → front of body

Caudal

towards the bottom/tailbone of the body

Cauda

Latin= tail

Rostral

refers to a structure in the head or brain (rhymes with nostril)

Palmar

palm or front of the hand

Plantar

bottom of foot *remember: planting your foot on the ground

Superficial

refers to structure closer to the surface of the body

Deep

refers to innermost layer of bodily structure (ex. deep tissue massage)

Unilateral

structure located on only one side of the body (ex. spleen)

Bilateral

structure located on both sides of the body (ex. left lung and right lung)

Ipsilateral

several structures located on the same side of the body (ex. left lung and left kidney

Contralateral

one structure located on one side of the body and another structure located on the opposite side of the body (ex. left lung and right kidney) *think “contradict” → opposite of something

Proximal

closer to the focus point structure on the body

Distal

further from the focus point structure on the body

Sagittal Plane

divides the body into right and left parts (can be directly in the middle or off-center)

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

plane that divides body into anterior (front) and posterior (back)

Transverse (axial) plane

divides body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts

sagittal axis

passes from front to back

frontal axis

passes from left to right

vertical axis

axis passes from top to bottom

abdominal

anterior body trunk inferior to (below) the ribs

Brachial

arm

carpal

wrist

Cervical

neck

Deltoid

shoulder

digital

fingers

Femoral

thigh

Inguinal

groin

Mammary

breast

nasal

nose

oral

mouth

orbital

eye

patellar

knee cap

pelvic

pelvis

pubic

genital

Thoracic

chest

cephalic

head

dorsum

back

lumbar

lower back

poplietal

back of the knee

sacral

tail bone

scapular

shoulder blade

vertebral

backbone or spinal cord

Synovial cavity

in a joint between neck vertebrae

Lamina Propria

mucous membranes composed of epithelial cells that ret on a loose connective tissue layer. Line body cavities that are open to the environment (ex mouth, respiratory, digestive)

Serous membranes

double membrane, produces serous fluid, minimizes friction.

Parietal layer

outer layer of an organ (adheres to the walls of a body cavity (opening)

Visceral layer

inner layer of an organ (adheres directly to an organ (ex. pericardium = heart)

Lymphatic System (immune system)

Spleen, lymphatic vessels

Urinary system

Kidneys, bladder, ureters

Reproductive system

Male (Testes, Sperm) Female (Ovary, Ovum)

Integumentary

Skin (epidermal and dermal)

Endocrine system

pituitary, thymus, pancreas

cardiovascular system

heart, blood vessels