CM

Directional Terms, Planes, and Sections

Notes

This worksheet promotes understanding of directional terms used in anatomy, enhancing critical thinking through application in identification and description of body parts and their relationships.

Directional Definitions

  1. Superior - Above or higher than another structure.

  2. Inferior - Below or lower than another structure.

  3. Anterior - Front side of the body.

  4. Posterior - Back side of the body.

  5. Medial - Closer to the midline of the body.

  6. Lateral - Farther from the midline of the body.

  7. Proximal - Closer to the point of attachment or origin.

  8. Distal - Farther from the point of attachment or origin.

  9. Frontal Plane - an imaginary vertical plane that divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections

  10. Transverse Plane - an imaginary plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) sections

  11. Sagittal Plane - an anatomical plane that divides the body into left and right sections

Fill in the Blank

  1. The thoracic cavity is _____ to the abdominopelvic cavity.

  2. The trachea (windpipe) is _____ to the vertebral column.

  3. The wrist is _____ to the hand.

  4. If an incision cuts the heart into left and right parts, a _____ plane of section was used.

  5. The nose is _____ to the cheekbones.

  6. The thumb is _____ to the ring finger.

  7. The vertebral cavity is _____ to the cranial cavity.

  8. The knee is _____ to the thigh.

  9. The plane that separates the head from the neck is the _____ .

  10. The popliteal region is _____ to the patellar region.

  11. The plane that separates the anterior body surface from the posterior body surface is the _____.

Multiple Choice Questions

  1. Which term describes a part that is closer to the midline of the body?

    A) Lateral

    B) Medial

    C) Distal

    D) Proximal

  2. What term describes the direction towards the front of the body?

    A) Inferior

    B) Posterior

    C) Anterior

    D) Superior

  3. The vertebral cavity is located _____to the cranial cavity.

    A) distal

    B) superior

    C) anterior

    D) inferior

  4. Which body cavity provides the least protection to its internal structures?

    A) Cranial cavity

    B) Vertebral cavity

    C) Thoracic cavity

    D) Abdominopelvic cavity

  5. Which plane divides the body into superior and inferior sections?

    A) Frontal Plane

    B) Sagittal Plane

    C) Transverse Plane

    D) Coronal Plane