Anatomical Terminology and Body Regions Notes

Basic Anatomical Terminology

  • Anatomical Position: straight; forward looking; palms facing up; upper limbs at sides; feet flat down

  • Supine: lying face up

  • Prone: lying face down

  • Directional terms

    • Head

    • Superior: above, towards

    • Inferior: below, away

    • Front of body

    • Anterior: towards the front

    • Posterior: towards the back

    • Midline of body

    • Medial: towards the midline

    • Lateral: away from the midline

    • Origin of a limb

    • Proximal: towards the origin

    • Distal: away from the origin

    • Surface

    • Superficial: towards the surface

    • Deep: away from the surface

    • Ventral/anterior (abdomen)

    • Dorsal: posterior (back)

  • Planes & sections

    • Plane: an imaginary line

    • Sagittal vertical plane

    • Midsagittal plane: equal left & right

    • Parasagittal plane: unequal left & right

    • Frontal (coronal) plane: sideways cut; divides anterior & posterior

    • Transverse plane: horizontal cut

    • Oblique plane: angle cut

Regions

  • Trunk: anterior aspect

    • Chest (thoracic)

    • Breastbone (sternum)

  • Head: cephalic

  • Breast: mammary

  • Skull: cranial

  • Abdomen: abdominal

  • Back of head: occipital

  • Navel: umbilical

  • Neck: cervical

  • Hip: coxal

  • Nose: nasal

  • Pelvis: pelvic

  • Mouth: oral

  • Groin: inguinal

  • Chin: mental

  • Pubis: pubic

  • Face: facial

  • Trunk: posterior (back of body)

  • Forehead: frontal

  • Back: dorsal

  • Temple: temporal

  • Shoulder blade: scapular

  • Eye: orbital/ocular

  • Spinal column: vertebral

  • Ear: otic

  • Loin: lumbar

  • Cheek: buccal

  • Sacral: sacral

  • Between hips: perineal

  • Between anus and external genitals: perineal (same region)

Major surface regions (examples and note of synonyms)

  • Buttock: gluteal

  • Armpit: axillary

  • Thigh: femoral

  • Arm: brachial

  • Knee (anterior): patellar

  • Front of elbow: antecubital

  • Knee (posterior): popliteal

  • Back of elbow: cubital

  • Leg: crural

  • Forearm: antebrachial

  • Foot: pedal

  • Wrist: carpal

  • Ankle: tarsal

  • Palm: palmar

  • Toes: digital/phalangeal

  • Fingers: digits/phalangeal

  • Great toe: hallux

  • Sole: plantar

  • Hand: manual

  • Thumb: pollex

  • Heel: calcaneal

Body Regions & Cavities

  • Body cavities: spaces within the body that protect, separate, and support internal organs

  • Dorsal Cavity

    • Meninges: membranes lining dorsal cavities

    • Cranial cavity: formed by cranial bones; contains brain

    • Vertebral (spinal) cavity: formed by vertebral column; contains spinal cord

  • Thoracic Cavity

    • Pleural cavities: surround each lung

    • Pericardial cavity: surrounds the heart

    • Mediastinum: region between the lungs; contains all thoracic cavity structures except the lungs

    • Viscera: organs of thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities

  • Abdominopelvic Cavity

    • Abdominal cavity: stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, parts of large intestine

    • Pelvic cavity: urinary bladder, reproductive organs, parts of large intestine

Membranes

  • Serous membranes: consist of epithelial and connective tissue; produce serous fluid for lubrication

  • Parietal layer: lines cavity walls

  • Visceral layer: covers the organs

  • Thoracic cavity membranes

    • Pleura: around the lungs

    • Pericardium: around the heart

  • Abdominopelvic cavity membrane

    • Peritoneum: lines the abdominal cavity and covers abdominal organs

Abdominopelvic Regions & Quadrants

  • Nine-region plan (from top to bottom, left to right):

    • Right hypochondriac, Epigastric, Left hypochondriac

    • Right lumbar, Umbilical, Left lumbar

    • Right iliac (inguinal), Hypogastric, Left iliac (inguinal)

  • Four-quadrant plan

    • Right upper quadrant (RUQ)

    • Right lower quadrant (RLQ)

    • Left upper quadrant (LUQ)

    • Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

  • Boundary reference: diaphragm divides thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities; standard quadrants are delimited by a vertical midline and a horizontal transumbilical plane (note: this plane is the common reference in teaching, though not explicitly stated in the provided transcript)