Anatomy Set #2

Anatomical position

standard body position

Directional terms

allow medical personnel and anatomists to explain exactly where one body structure is in relation to another

Abdominal

anterior body trunk inferior to ribs

Acromial

point of the shoulder

Antebrachial

forearm

Antecubital

anterior surface of elbow

Axillary

armpit

Brachial 

arm

buccal

cheek area (face)

Carpal

wrist

Cervical

neck region

Coxal

hip

Crural

region of the lower leg

Deltoid

curve of the shoulder

Digital femoral

digital (fingers, toes) femoral (thigh) / hamstring

Fibular

lateral (outer side) part of leg

Frontal

forehead

Inguinal

area where thigh meets body trunk; groin

Nasal

nose area

Oral

mouth

Plantar

bottom of the foot; inferior body surface

Sural

the posterior surface of lower leg; calf

Superficial

(external) toward or at the body surface

Deep

(internal) away from the body surface; more internal

Medial

toward or at the midline of the body; on the inner side of

Lateral

away from the midline of the body; on the outer side of

Ventral

anterior) toward or at the front of the body; in front of

Dorsal

posterior (back) toward or at the backside of the body; behind

Olecranal

the back of the elbow; the region where the ulna forms the prominent bony point.

Calcaneal

the heel; the area associated with the calcaneus bone.

Orbital

related to the eye socket; the area surrounding the eye

Patellar

anterior (front) kneecap.

Pelvic

related to the pelvis; the area associated with the hip bones.

Pubic

related to the pubis, the front part of the pelvis.

Sternal

related to the sternum, the breastbone that connects the ribs.

Tarsal

related to the tarsus, a group of bones in the ankle.

Thoracic

related to the thorax, the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen that contains the ribs and organs such as the heart and lungs. (chest)

Umbilical

navel

Sacral

area between your hips

Vertebral

area of spine

Section

a cut

Plane

imaginary cutting line

Sagittal section

cut lengthwise, or longitudinal, plane of the body

median/midsagittal section

cut down the middle (median), and has both left and right equal in size

Frontal section

a cut on the lengthwise plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior parts

Proximal

close to the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk

Distal

farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk

Inferior

(caudal) away from the head end or toward the lower part of a structure or the body; below

superior

(cranial or cephalad) toward the head end or upper part of a structure or the body; above

Coronal section

a cut lengthwise that divides the plane into anterior and posterior parts

Transverse section

a cut across a horizontal plane, dividing the body or organ into superior and inferior parts

Cross section

a cut across a horizontal plane, dividing into superior and inferior parts

Dorsal body cavity

two subdivisions (which are continuous with each other); cranial cavity and spinal cavity

Cranial cavity

space inside the body skull

Spinal cavity

extends from the cranial cavity nearly to the end of the vertebral column

Ventral body cavity

contains all structures within the chest and abdomen

Thoracic cavity

separated from the rest of the ventral cavity by a dome-shaped muscle (diaphragm)

Diaphragm

dome-shaped muscle that sits below the lungs and heart, separating the thoracic (chest) and abdominal cavities

Mediastinum

the region of the thoracic cavity between the lungs

Abdominal cavity

contains the stomach, liver, intestines, and other organs

Pelvic cavity

Umbilical region

Epigastric region

hypogastric/pubic region

Right and left iliac or inguinal region

Right and left lumbar regions

Right and left hypochondriac regions

Oral and digestive cavities

Nasal cavity

Orbital cavities

Middle ear cavities

Popliteal

cephalic