Anatomical Terminology

TERMINOLOGY Anatomy: a form of organizing the body parts Physiology: Function of anatomical parts

Anatomical position. Standing position, feet and palms facing Foward (reference position)

  1. Supine lying face upward
  2. prone -lying face downward

Anatomical Directions:

  1. Superior: “towards head" Upper or above

   Inferior: "towards Feet* lower or below

  1. Anterior or ventral: front

   Posterior or dorsal: back

  1. Medial: Towards the Midline

   Lateral: toward Sidle or away from the midline

  1. Proximal: toward or nearest the trunk of the body or nearest the point of origin of one of its parts

   Distal: way from or farthest from the trunk or point of origin

  1. Superficial: near surface

   Deep: Farther away from the body surface

   Body Sections: Planes of the Body

  1. Sagittal: Length-wise plane running, front to back

   midsagital -divides the body into 2 equal halves

  1. Frontal: Length-wise plane running, side-to-side (divides anterior and posterior)
  2. Transverse: Horizontal plane or cross-Section (upper | lower portions)

\ Body Cavities:

  1. Dorsal: 2 sub-compartments

       1. Cranial cavity - Skull and brain    2. Vertebral Canal - Vertebrae and spinal Cord

  1. Ventral: 2 sub-compartments

   Thoracic -==- chest 3 compartments

       1. Pleural - … contains the lungs    2. Mediastinum- …trachea, heart, esophagus, thymusgland    3. pericardial - - encloses the heart

  1. Abdominopelvic - upper abdomen and lower pelvis (Diaphragm to floor of pelvis)

       1. Abdominal Cavity - - - Stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, Kidneys, majority of Small intestine process, pancrease    2. Pelvic cavity ---encloses hipbone, urinary bladder, lower colon, internal reproductive organs       * Organs within a cavity are called viscera       * diaphragm thin muscle separates thoracic cavity and abdominopelvic cavity

   Body Regions:

   Abdominopelvic Cavity: 9 regions

       1. Upper Regions: above 9** rib    * Right Hypochondriac    * epigastric    * Left Hypochondriac

       2. B. Middle Regions: below gth rib and above top of hip bones       * Right lumbar       * umbilical       * Left lumbar    3. Lower Regions: below top of hip bones    * Right iliac (inguinal)    * hypogastric    * left iliac (inguinal)

  1. Mediastinum: separates thoracic into right and left sides

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