CSEP421 - Human Body (2.1)

Terminology

• Common language for body structures and functions.
• Anatomical position: standard reference point for health professionals.
  • Body upright, standing erect, facing forward.
  • Head and eyes facing forward.
  • Feet flat on the floor and forward.
  • Upper limbs to the sides, palms forward.

Directional Terms

• Describe the position of one body part relative to another.
• Grouped in pairs with opposite meanings (anterior/posterior, superior/inferior).
• Examples:
  • Esophagus is posterior to the trachea.
  • Mouth is inferior to the nose.
• Anterior: Nearer to the front of the body.
• Posterior: Nearer to the back of the body.
• Superior: Toward the head.
• Inferior: Away from the head.
• Lateral: Further from the midline.
• Medial: Nearer to the midline.
• Proximal (limbs only): Nearer to the point of attachment to the torso.
• Distal (limbs only): Further from the point of attachment to the torso.
• Superficial: Towards or on the surface of the body.
• Deep: Away from the surface of the body.

Planes and Sections

• Planes: Imaginary flat surfaces passing through the body.
  • Midsagittal: Divides body into equal right and left sides.
  • Parasagittal: Divides body into unequal right and left sides.
  • Frontal: Divides body into anterior and posterior portions.
  • Transverse: Divides body into superior and inferior portions.
• Sections: Cut of the body made along a plane.

Body Cavities

• Spaces within the body that protect, separate, and support internal organs.
  • Cranial cavity: Protects the brain.
  • Vertebral cavity: Contains the spinal cord.
  • Thoracic cavity: Contains lungs, heart, esophagus, trachea, aorta. Includes the pleural cavity which surrounds the lungs, and the pericardial cavity which surrounds the heart.
  • Abdominopelvic cavity: Extends from the diaphragm to the groin; divided into abdominal and pelvic cavities.
    • Abdominal cavity: Contains stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, parts of large intestine, kidneys, pancreas.
    • Pelvic cavity: Contains urinary bladder, internal reproductive organs, parts of large intestine, rectum.
• Other Body Cavities
  • Oral (mouth) cavity
  • Nasal cavity
  • Orbital cavities
  • Middle ear cavities
  • Synovial cavities