A & P Chapter 1 and 2 [Directional Terms & Planes of Section]

Describe Anatomical Position

▪ Body is standing upright
▪ Feet are shoulder width apart
▪ Upper limbs at the sides of trunk
▪ Head and palms facing forward
▪ Body is always referred to as if it were
in anatomical position, even when it’s in
another position
▪ “Right” and “left” always refers to right
and left sides of body being described,
not our own

Anterior/Posterior | Ventral/Dorsal

anterior (ventral) refers to structures located toward the front of the body, and posterior (dorsal) refers to structures toward the back

Superior/Inferior | Cranial/Caudal

Superior (Cranial) indicates a structure that is closer to the head or upper part of the body, while inferior (Caudal) refers to a structure closer to the feet or lower part of the body

Proximal/ Distal

proximal refers to a location closer to the axil body, while distal describes a location that is farther from the axil body

Medial/ Lateral

Medial refers to structures located toward the midline, while lateral refers to structures located away from the midline, toward the outer side of the body

Superficial/ Deep

superficial describes structures closer to the exterior surface of the body, whereas deep refers to structures located further inside

Axial Region

head, neck, and trunk

Appendicular Region

upper and lower appendages

Sagittal Plane

divides the body into left and right sections

Midsagittal Plane

plane that divides equal left and right sections

Parasagittal Plane

plane that divides into unequal left and right sections

Frontal Plane (Coronal Plane)

divides body into anterior and posterior sections

Transverse Plane (also known as horizontal plane or cross section)

divides the body into superior and inferior (basically upper half and lower half sections)

Posterior Body Cavity consist of..

-Cranial cavity: brain

-Vertebral (spinal) cavity: vertebrae

Anterior Body Cavity consist of… and is separated into two divisions by what

-Thoracic cavity: heart, lungs

-Abdominopelvic: stomach, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine

separated by the diaphragm

3 parts of the Thoracic Cavity

-Pleural cavities: a fluid filled space that surrounds the lungs

-Mediastinum: the space between these two pleural cavities (not within serous membrane)

-Pericardial Cavity: sack that encloses the heart

Abdominopelvic cavity subdivided into two cavities

-Abdominal cavity: upper abdominal region

-Pelvic Cavity: lower pelvic region

Abdominopelvic Quadrants

-Right upper quadrant (RUQ)
-Right lower quadrant (RLQ)
-Left upper quadrant (LUQ)
-Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

Abdominopelvic Regions

o Right and left hypochondriac regions
o Epigastric region
o Right and left lumbar regions
o Umbilical region
o Right and left iliac or inguinal regions
o Hypogastric region