Anatomical Positions, Planes, Cavities, and Regions

Vocabulary flashcards based on Chapter 1 covering body positioning, directional planes, serous membranes, and abdominopelvic divisions.

Anatomical position

A standard perspective where a person is standing with feet slightly apart in line with hips, arms at the side with palms facing forward, and head and eyes facing forward.

Right and Left (Anatomical)

Directional terms that always refer strictly to the patient's or cadaver's right and left, never to the observer's right and left.

Prone

A body position describing a face down orientation.

Supine

A body position describing a face up orientation.

Section

A slice of a three-dimensional structure such as an organ.

Plane

An imaginary slice through the body used in imaging.

Frontal plane

A plane of section that divides the body into anterior and posterior sections.

Transverse plane

A plane of section that divides the body into superior and inferior sections.

Sagittal plane

A plane of section that divides the body into right and left hands (sides).

Midsagittal plane

A sagittal plane that slices directly through the midline of the body.

Parasagittal plane

A sagittal plane that divides the body unequally into right and left portions.

Serous membranes

A double layer of thin membranes, like thin sheets of tissue, that wrap around organs with specialized serous fluid between the layers.

Parietal layer

The layer of a serous membrane that faces inward toward the cavity.

Visceral layer

The layer of a serous membrane that faces outward touching the surface of the organ or organs it surrounds.

Serous cavity

A thin cavity located between the parietal and visceral layers that contains serous fluid.

Pleura

The serous membrane that surrounds the lungs within the thoracic cavity.

Pericardium

The serous membrane that surrounds the heart within the mediastinum.

Peritoneum

The serous membrane that surrounds many of the organs in the abdominopelvic cavity.

Epigastric region

The superior center square of the abdominopelvic grid, bordered laterally by the right and left hypochondriac regions.

Umbilical region

The center square of the abdominopelvic grid containing the belly button, bordered laterally by the right and left lumbar regions.

Hypogastric region

The inferior center square of the abdominopelvic grid, bordered laterally by the right and left iliac (inguinal) regions.

Abdominopelvic quadrants

A division scheme consisting of the right upper, left upper, right lower, and left lower quadrants, formed by a vertical plane along the midsagittal line and a horizontal plane superior to the umbilicus.