Ch. 1 Intro to Head and Neck

Anterior:

front of an area

Posterior

back of an area

Superior

an area that faces toward the head and away from the feet

Inferior

an area that faces away from the head and toward the feet

Ventral

directed toward the front

Dorsal

directed toward the back

Medial

an area closer to the midsagittal plane

Lateral

an area farther from the midsagittal plane

Proximal

an area closer to the midsagittal plane/median plane or to the body point of attachment

Distal

an area farther from the midsagittal plane/median plane and farther from body point of attachment

Ipsilateral

on the same side of body

Superficial

a structure located toward the surface of the body

Deep

a structure located inward away from the surface of the body

Median Plane

vertical plane that divides the body into perfectly symmetrical left and right halves

Sagittal Plane

an anatomical division of the body that cuts it into distinct right and left halves, either equally or unequally,

Anatomic Position

the arms at the sides with palms and toes directed foraward and the eyes looking forward

Apex

or tip is the pointed end of a conical structure such as the apex or tip of the tongue

Coronal plane or frontal plane

divides the body at any level into anterior and posterior parts

Transverse Plane or Axial Plane

divides the body at any level horizontally into superior and inferior parts and is always perpendicular to the midsagittal plane

Contralateral

a structure on the opposite side of the body