Intro & Terminology
Anatomical position - hands at sides, palms forward, feet slightly apart
Body Planes:
Sagittal: divides body parts into left and right parts (sagittal is side and side)
Frontal/coronal: divides body into anterior and posterior parts (frontal is front to back)
Transverse: divides the body into superior and inferior parts (transverse is top and bottom)
Body cavities - major divisions
Dorsal: back of the body (dorsal fin is out of a shark's back)
2 sub cavities:
Cranial/cranium (where the brain is; skull)
Vertebral (vertebrae or spinal cord is housed)
Ventral: front of the body, larger cavity, contains visceral/vital organs
2 sub cavities:
Thoracic(superior; front top)
Pleura (lungs)
Mediastinum (around heart)
Pericardial (on/surrounds heart)
Abdominopelvic (down from breast bone to pelvic region; front bottom)
Abdominal cavity (contains most digestive system organs)
Pelvic cavity(contains most reproductive organs)
Directional terms:
Medial: toward the middle
Lateral: toward the side
Anterior: front of the body
Posterior: back of the body
Ventral: the front of body; belly side (for humans, same as anterior)
Dorsal: back of the body; back side (for humans, same as posteriors)
Superior: towards the head
Inferior: toward the feet
Proximal: toward the body trunk/toward the point of attachment
Distal: away from body trunk/away from point of attachment
Ipsilateral: same side
Contralateral: opposite sides (contradicts is not the same page)
Superficial: toward the skin/closer to the surface
Deep: toward the inside/further from the surface
Anatomical position - hands at sides, palms forward, feet slightly apart
Body Planes:
Sagittal: divides body parts into left and right parts (sagittal is side and side)
Frontal/coronal: divides body into anterior and posterior parts (frontal is front to back)
Transverse: divides the body into superior and inferior parts (transverse is top and bottom)
Body cavities - major divisions
Dorsal: back of the body (dorsal fin is out of a shark's back)
2 sub cavities:
Cranial/cranium (where the brain is; skull)
Vertebral (vertebrae or spinal cord is housed)
Ventral: front of the body, larger cavity, contains visceral/vital organs
2 sub cavities:
Thoracic(superior; front top)
Pleura (lungs)
Mediastinum (around heart)
Pericardial (on/surrounds heart)
Abdominopelvic (down from breast bone to pelvic region; front bottom)
Abdominal cavity (contains most digestive system organs)
Pelvic cavity(contains most reproductive organs)
Directional terms:
Medial: toward the middle
Lateral: toward the side
Anterior: front of the body
Posterior: back of the body
Ventral: the front of body; belly side (for humans, same as anterior)
Dorsal: back of the body; back side (for humans, same as posteriors)
Superior: towards the head
Inferior: toward the feet
Proximal: toward the body trunk/toward the point of attachment
Distal: away from body trunk/away from point of attachment
Ipsilateral: same side
Contralateral: opposite sides (contradicts is not the same page)
Superficial: toward the skin/closer to the surface
Deep: toward the inside/further from the surface