Anatomy and Physiology Lab Terms (Week 1, USI)

Regional terms, body cavities, abdominal quadrants, abdominal regions

Abdominal

Abdomen; area between the chest and pelvis

Acromial

Shoulder

Antebrachial

Forearm

Antecubital

Front of the elbow

Axillary

Armpit

Brachial

Upper arm

Calcaneal

Heel

Carpal

Wrist

Cephalic

Head

Cervical

Neck

Coxal

Hip

Crural

Lower leg; between the knee and ankle

Digital

Fingers or toes

Dorsal

Back; posterior surface of the body

Femoral

Thigh

Fibular (Peroneal)

Outer side of the lower leg

Frontal

Forehead

Gluteal

Buttocks

Hallux

Big toe

Inguinal

Groin

Lumbar

Lower back

Mammary

Breast

Manus

Hand

Mental

Chin

Metacarpal

Hand; bones between the wrist and fingers

Metatarsal

Foot; bones between the ankle and toes

Nasal

Nose

Occipital

Back of the head

Olecranal

Back of the elbow

Oral

Mouth

Orbital

Eye socket

Otic

Ear

Palmar

Palm of the hand

Patellar

Front of the knee

Pedal

Foot

Pelvic

Pelvis

Perineal

Area between the external genitalia and anus

Plantar

Sole/bottom of the foot

Pollex

Thumb

Popliteal

Back of the knee

Sacral

Area between the hips at the base of the spine

Scapular

Shoulder blade area

Sternal

Breastbone/midline of the chest

Sural

Calf; back of the lower leg

Tarsal

Ankle

Thoracic

Chest

Umbilical

Navel/belly button

Vertebral

Spinal column/backbone

Superior

Above or toward the head

Inferior

Below or toward the feet

Ventral

Toward the front of the body

Dorsal

Toward the back of the body

Medial

Toward the midline of the body

Lateral

Away from the midline of the body

Intermediate

Between a more medial and lateral structure

Proximal

Closer to the point of attachment

Distal

Farther from the point of attachment

Superficial

Toward the body surface

Deep

Farther from the body surface

Dorsal cavity

Posterior body cavity containing the cranial and vertebral cavities

Cranial cavity

Cavity within the skull that contains the brain

Vertebral cavity

Cavity within the vertebral column that contains the spinal cord

Ventral cavity

Anterior body cavity containing the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities

Thoracic cavity

Chest cavity containing the lungs and heart

Mediastinum

Central region of the thoracic cavity between the lungs; contains the heart and other structures

Pleural cavity

Space surrounding each lung

Pericardial cavity

Space surrounding the heart

Abdominopelvic cavity

Cavity below the diaphragm containing the abdominal and pelvic cavities

Abdominal cavity

Upper part of the abdominopelvic cavity containing many digestive organs

Pelvic cavity

Lower part of the abdominopelvic cavity containing the urinary and reproductive organs and rectum

Frontal/Coronal plane

Divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions

Transverse/Horizontal plane

Divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions

Median/Midsagittal plane

Divides the body into equal left and right halves

Sagittal plane

Divides the body into left and right portions; not necessarily equal

Right upper quadrant (RUQ)

Upper-right quarter of the abdomen

Right lower quadrant (RLQ)

Lower-right quarter of the abdomen

Left upper quadrant (LUQ)

Upper-left quarter of the abdomen

Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

Lower-left quarter of the abdomen

Hypochondriac region

Upper lateral region of the abdomen beneath the ribs

Lumbar region

Middle lateral region of the abdomen

Iliac (Inguinal) region

Lower lateral region of the abdomen near the hip bones/groin

Epigastric region

Upper middle region of the abdomen

Umbilical region

Central region around the navel

Hypogastric region

Lower middle region of the abdomen below the umbilical region