Introduction to Anatomical Terminology

Abdominal

abdomen

Antebrachial

forearm

Antecubital

front of elbow

Axillary

armpit

Brachial

upper arm

Buccal

cheek

Carpal

wrist

Cervical

neck

Crural

leg

digital (phalangeal)

fingers or toes

facial

face

Femoral

thigh

Frontal

forehead

Inguinal

groin

Acromial

top of shoulder

Mammary

breast

manual

hand

mental

chin

nasal

nose

oral

mouth

orbital (ocular)

eye

Otic

ear

Palmar

palm

Patellar

kneecap (front of knee)

pedal

foot

Pelvic

pelvis

Pubic

genital region

Sternal

breastbone

Tarsal

ankle region

Thoracic

chest

Umbilical

navel

Calcaneal

heel

Cephalic

head

Gluteal

buttock

Lumbar

loin/lower back

Occipital

back of head

Olecranal

back of elbow

Popliteal

back of knee

Scapular

shoulder blade

Sural

calf

Vertebral

area of spinal column

plantar

sole of foot

Superior

Higher on the body, nearer to the head

Inferior

Lower on the body, farther from the head

Cranial

toward the head

Caudal

toward the tail

superficial

near the surface

deep

Away from the body surface; more internal

Anterior

front of the body

Posterior

back of body (towards the back)

Ventral

belly side

Dorsal

toward the back

Medial

toward the midline

Lateral

away from the midline

Proximal

Closer to the point of attachment/trunk of body

Distal

farther from the point of attachment/trunk of body

sagittal plane

divides body into left and right

Parasagittal

Divides body into unequal right and left sides

Midsagittal

the plane dividing the body into equal right and left halves

coronal plane

divides body into front and back

transverse plane

divides the body into superior and inferior parts

dorsal cavity

includes cranial and vertebral cavities

cranial cavity

contains the brain

vertebral cavity

contains the spinal cord

ventral cavity

includes thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities

thoracic cavity

cavity housing lungs and heart

abdominopelvic cavity

contains both the abdominal and pelvic cavities