Principles of Human Anatomy Practice Flashcards

Anatomical Terminology and Body Regions

  • Cephalic (Head) Region: The upper portion of the body including the following specific areas:

    • Cranial: The skull.

    • Facial: The face.

    • Frontal: The forehead.

    • Orbital: The eye.

    • Otic: The ear.

    • Buccal: The cheek.

    • Nasal: The nose.

    • Oral: The mouth.

    • Mental: The chin.

    • Occipital: The base of the skull, located on the posterior view.

  • Cervical (Neck) Region: The area connecting the head to the trunk.

  • Trunk: The central part of the body, subdivided into several specific regions:

    • Thoracic: The chest area, which includes the Sternal (breastbone) and Mammary (breast) regions.

    • Abdominal: The area of the abdomen, specifically including the Umbilical (navel).

    • Pelvic: The pelvis area.

    • Coxal: The hip.

    • Inguinal: The groin.

    • Pubic: The pubis.

    • Dorsal: The back (posterior view).

    • Scapular: The shoulder blade.

    • Vertebral: The spinal column.

    • Lumbar: The loin or lower back.

    • Sacral: The area located between the hips.

    • Gluteal: The buttock.

  • Upper Limb Regions: Terms describing the arms and hands from proximal to distal:

    • Acromial: The shoulder.

    • Axillary: The armpit.

    • Brachial: The arm (upper arm).

    • Antecubital: The front of the elbow.

    • Olecranal: The back of the elbow.

    • Antebrachial: The forearm.

    • Carpal: The wrist.

    • Palmar: The palm of the hand.

    • Dorsum: The back of the hand.

    • Manual: The hand as a whole.

    • Digital or Phalangeal: The fingers.

  • Lower Limb Regions: Terms describing the legs and feet from proximal to distal:

    • Femoral: The thigh.

    • Patellar: The anterior surface of the knee.

    • Popliteal: The hollow behind the knee.

    • Crural: The leg (lower leg).

    • Sural: The calf.

    • Tarsal: The ankle.

    • Pedal: The foot as a whole.

    • Calcaneal: The heel.

    • Plantar: The sole of the foot.

    • Dorsum: The top of the foot.

    • Digital or Phalangeal: The toes.

Planes of the Human Body

  • Midsagittal Plane: A vertical plane that passes through the midline of the body and divides it into equal right and left sides.

  • Parasagittal Plane: A vertical plane that divides the body into unequal right and left sides.

  • Frontal (Coronal) Plane: A plane that divides the body or an organ into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.

  • Transverse Plane: A horizontal plane that divides the body or an organ into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.

  • Oblique Plane: A plane that passes through the body or an organ at an angle between a transverse plane and a sagittal plane or between a transverse plane and a frontal plane.

Directional Terms and Internal Anatomy

  • Superior: Toward the head or the upper part of a structure.

  • Inferior: Away from the head or toward the lower part of a structure.

  • Medial: Nearer to the midline (an imaginary vertical line that divides the body into equal right and left sides).

  • Lateral: Farther from the midline.

  • Proximal: Nearer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk; nearer to the origination of a structure.

  • Distal: Farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk; farther from the origination of a structure.

  • Key Internal Landmarks (Anterior View):

    • Respiratory System: Esophagus (food tube), Trachea (windpipe), Right lung, Left lung.

    • Cardiovascular System: Heart.

    • Digestive System: Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach, Ascending colon, Transverse colon, Descending colon, Small intestine.

    • Urinary System: Urinary bladder.

    • Muscular System: Diaphragm (separates the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities).

    • Skeletal System: Rib, Sternum (breastbone), Humerus, Radius, Ulna, Carpals, Metacarpals, Phalanges.

Body Cavities

  • Dorsal Body Cavity: Located near the posterior surface of the body and subdivided into two parts:

    • Cranial Cavity: Formed by the cranial bones and contains the brain.

    • Vertebral Canal: Formed by the bones of the vertebral column and contains the spinal cord.

  • Ventral Body Cavity: Located on the anterior aspect of the body and subdivided by the diaphragm into two main cavities:

    • Thoracic Cavity: The superior portion of the ventral body cavity, containing the heart and lungs.

    • Abdominopelvic Cavity: The inferior portion of the ventral body cavity, further divided into:

      • Abdominal Cavity: Contains the stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, and most of the large intestine.

      • Pelvic Cavity: Contains the urinary bladder, portions of the large intestine, and internal organs of reproduction.

Abdominopelvic Regions and Quadrants

  • Nine Abdominopelvic Regions:

    • Right Hypochondriac Region: Contains the right lobe of the liver and the gallbladder.

    • Epigastric Region: Contains parts of the right and left lobes of the liver, the lesser curvature and pyloric portion of the stomach, the duodenum, the abdominal aorta, and the inferior vena cava.

    • Left Hypochondriac Region: Contains the diaphragm, spleen, left colic (splenic) flexure of the large intestine, and the body of the stomach.

    • Right Lumbar Region: Contains the ascending colon of the large intestine.

    • Umbilical Region: Contains the small intestine (jejunum and ileum) and the transverse colon of the large intestine.

    • Left Lumbar Region: Contains the descending colon of the large intestine.

    • Right Iliac (Inguinal) Region: Contains the cecum and the appendix.

    • Hypogastric (Pubic) Region: Contains the small intestine, sigmoid colon of the large intestine, rectum, and urinary bladder.

    • Left Iliac (Inguinal) Region: Contains the descending colon and sigmoid colon of the large intestine.

  • Four Abdominopelvic Quadrants:

    • Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ).

    • Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ).

    • Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ).

    • Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ).