Anatomical Terms and Body Positioning

What is the starting point for anatomical descriptions?

The simple standing posture.

What does the term medial refer to in anatomical terms?

Parts nearer to the median plane of the body.

What is the opposite of medial?

Lateral, which designates parts farther from the median plane.

What does anterior mean in anatomical terms?

The surface of the face and front of the trunk and limbs, with palms forward.

What does posterior refer to?

The opposite surface of anterior.

In the context of limbs, what does proximal mean?

Nearer to the trunk.

What does distal mean?

Further from the trunk.

What do superior and inferior indicate in anatomical terms?

Superior means toward the upper part of the body (calvaria), while inferior means toward the sole of the foot.

What do the terms superficial and deep refer to?

Superficial indicates lesser distance from the body surface, while deep indicates greater distance.

What does radial refer to in anatomical terminology?

The thumb side of the forearm.

What does ulnar refer to?

The little finger side of the forearm.

What does tibial refer to?

The side of the hallux or great toe.

What does fibular or peroneal refer to?

The side of the little toe.

What is the palmar side?

The side of the palm.

What is the plantar side?

The side of the sole.

What does volar mean?

On the side of the palm or sole.

What does dorsal refer to?

The side opposite the palm or sole.

What are tendons?

Structures that attach muscles to bones, located at the ends of muscles.

What are aponeuroses?

Broad, flat, membrane-like tendons that are continuations of broad and flat muscles.

What are fasciae?

Fibrous laminae of variable thickness and strength that invest the muscular system.

What are ligaments?

Fibrous or fibro-elastic bands that connect articulating bones or stretch between immobile bones.

What are capsular ligaments?

Fibrous membranes enclosing the cavity of joints.

Vertical axis

The axis that runs vertically through the body.

Transversal axis

The axis that runs side to side (left to right) through the body.

Sagittal axis

The axis that runs front to back through the body.

Coronal plane

The anatomical plane that divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections.

Sagittal plane

The anatomical plane that divides the body into left and right sections.

Median plane

The midline sagittal plane that divides the body into equal left and right halves.

Horizontal (transversal) plane

The anatomical plane that divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) sections.

Transversal plane

Another name for the horizontal plane.

Importance of anatomical planes

They help describe and understand the orientation, movement, and structure of the human body.