APR Module One: Body Orientation, Dissection, and Body Regions – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical position, planes, directional terms, body regions and quadrants, cavities and membranes, organ systems, and common clinically relevant concepts (e.g., pericardial and pleural spaces, peritoneum, and retroperitoneal structures).

Anatomical position

Standard reference position: standing upright with feet together (or hip-width apart), arms at the sides, palms facing forward; used as the frame of reference for describing body parts.

Anterior

Toward the front of the body; in humans, the ventral side.

Posterior

Toward the back of the body; in humans, the dorsal side.

Superior

Toward the head or upper part of a structure.

Inferior

Toward the feet or lower part of a structure.

Medial

Toward the midline of the body.

Lateral

Away from the midline of the body; toward the side.

Proximal

Closer to the point of attachment of a limb.

Distal

Farther from the point of attachment of a limb.

Ipsilateral

On the same side of the body as another structure.

Contralateral

On the opposite side of the body from another structure.

Superficial

Near the surface of the body.

Deep

Away from the surface; internal.

Rostral

Toward the nose (anterior in the head region).

Caudal

Toward the tail; toward the feet in humans.

Sagittal plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into right and left portions.

Frontal (coronal) plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.

Transverse plane

Horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.

Median (midsagittal) plane

Sagittal plane that divides the body into equal right and left halves.

Parasagittal plane

Sagittal plane that runs parallel to the median plane but is offset, creating unequal right and left portions.

Axial region

Head, neck, and trunk; the central axis of the body.

Appendicular region

Upper and lower limbs (the appendages).

Right upper quadrant (RUQ)

Abdominal quadrant containing parts of liver and gallbladder, among other structures; defined by two perpendicular lines through the umbilicus.

Right lower quadrant (RLQ)

Abdominal quadrant containing parts of intestines and reproductive structures.

Left upper quadrant (LUQ)

Abdominal quadrant containing the stomach, spleen, etc.

Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

Abdominal quadrant containing parts of intestines and organs.

Nine abdominal regions

A grid defined by two vertical midclavicular lines and two horizontal lines (subcostal and intertubercular) used to describe organ locations: epigastric, umbilical, hypogastric; and right/left hypochondriac, right/left lumbar, right/left iliac (inguinal).

Epigastric region

Upper middle abdominal region just below the rib cage.

Umbilical region

Central region around the umbilicus.

Hypogastric (pubic) region

Lower middle region below the umbilicus.

Hypochondriac regions

Upper left and upper right regions flanking the epigastric region.

Lumbar regions

Middle left and middle right regions flanking the umbilical region.

Iliac (inguinal) regions

Lower left and lower right regions near the pelvic brim.

Mediastinum

Central thoracic region between the lungs, containing the heart, great vessels, esophagus, trachea, and thymus.

Pleura

Serous membranes surrounding the lungs with visceral and parietal layers; pleural cavity between them.

Visceral pleura

Inner pleural layer that covers the surface of the lung.

Parietal pleura

Outer pleural layer that lines the inside of the rib cage.

Pericardium

Two-layer serous membrane around the heart consisting of visceral and parietal layers.

Visceral pericardium

Inner layer of the pericardium in contact with the heart.

Parietal pericardium

Outer layer of the pericardium lining the fibrous sac.

Pericardial cavity

Space between the visceral and parietal pericardium containing pericardial fluid.

Cardiac tamponade

Condition where excess pericardial fluid compresses the heart, impairing filling and circulation.

Peritoneum

Two-layer serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity (parietal) and covering viscera (visceral).

Visceral peritoneum

Inner peritoneal layer covering abdominal organs.

Parietal peritoneum

Outer peritoneal layer lining the abdominal cavity wall.

Peritoneal cavity

Space between parietal and visceral peritoneum containing peritoneal fluid.

Intraperitoneal

Organs enclosed by the visceral peritoneum and suspended by mesenteries (e.g., stomach, liver, intestines).

Retroperitoneal

Organs located behind the peritoneum (e.g., kidneys, ureters, adrenal glands, most of pancreas, aorta, IVC).

Mesentery

Double layer of peritoneum that suspends and anchors viscera to the posterior abdominal wall.

Greater omentum

Fatty apron hanging from the greater curvature of the stomach, overlaying intestines.

Lesser omentum

Peritoneal fold connecting the stomach to the liver.

Mesocolon

Mesentery attaching the colon to the posterior abdominal wall.

Peritoneal fluid

Lubricating fluid within the peritoneal cavity.

Peritoneal spaces (potential spaces)

Spaces that are typically collapsed but can fill with fluid or air under pathological conditions (e.g., pleural cavity; peritoneal space).

Peritonitis

Inflammation of the peritoneum, often due to perforation or infection; can be life-threatening.

Potential space

A space that normally does not exist because membranes are pressed together but can form if separated.

Cranial cavity

Space within the skull that houses the brain; protected by meninges.

Vertebral canal

Space within the vertebral column that contains the spinal cord.

Meninges

Three protective membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater) surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Diaphragm

Muscular sheet separating the thoracic and abdominal cavities; essential for respiration.

Organ systems

11 systems organized by principal functions; some organs participate in more than one system.

Intraperitoneal vs retroperitoneal usage

Intraperitoneal organs are within the peritoneal cavity; retroperitoneal organs lie behind the peritoneum.

Midclavicular line

Vertical reference line passing through the midpoint of the clavicle, used in the abdominal region grid.

Subcostal line

Horizontal line connecting the inferior borders of the lowest costal cartilages; defines the upper boundary of the nine-region grid.

Intertubercular line

Horizontal line passing between the tubercles of the pelvis; defines the lower boundary of the nine-region grid.

Anterior vs ventral, and posterior vs dorsal in humans

In humans, anterior often corresponds to ventral (front) and posterior to dorsal (back); ventral/dorsal usage is minimized to avoid confusion across species.