Lecture 1: Directional Terms, Body Planes, and Body Regions

Course Overview and Systems to be Covered

• Instructor briefly listed the 11 human body systems; focus of today’s class:

  • Digestive system: breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, distributes them via blood.

  • Urinary system: excretes metabolic wastes, regulates fluid balance; later connection to blood pressure & salt regulation will be explored.

  • Reproductive system: male & female structures and functions will be addressed in upcoming sessions.

• Promise to “get through all 11 systems quickly” over the course.

Instructor Contact Information and Course Logistics

• Email (preferred for fast replies): mTaylor@nlc.bc.ca (spelled out in class).

  • If platform errors occur (e.g.
    an item “opened” but still locked), email is first line of contact.

• Office phone: (2507825251) ext. 1342

  • Voicemail accepted, but slower response than email.

• Course materials posted on D2L; once opened, they will not be re-closed—students may revisit anytime.

• Reminder: one student (Josephine) still needs D2L access; contact instructor if similar issues arise.

Importance of Anatomical Terminology

• Shared vocabulary allows clear, precise communication among:

  • Nurses, physicians, physiotherapists, radiologists, etc.

  • Charting & interpreting diagnostic imaging (e.g., CT, MRI) or surgical notes.

• Misunderstanding terms can lead to mis-reporting of assessments, delayed treatment, or errors.

Anatomical Position

• Standard reference: body erect, feet forward, arms at sides, palms facing anteriorly (up/forward).

• All directional terms assume this position regardless of actual body posture during an event.

Directional Terms

• Superior: toward the head/top; e.g., head is most superior structure; heart is inferior to head.

• Inferior: toward the feet/bottom.

• Medial: toward midline (e.g., navel is medial to hip bones).

• Lateral: away from midline (e.g., arms are lateral to chest).

• Proximal: nearer point of attachment or body trunk (e.g., elbow is proximal to wrist).

• Distal: farther from trunk/point of attachment (e.g., fingers are distal to elbow).

• Anterior (ventral): front of body (e.g., chest is anterior).

• Posterior (dorsal): back of body (e.g., spine is posterior).

• Superficial: toward/at body surface (visible veins).

• Deep: away from surface, internal (arteries buried deep).

• Practice tip: stand a family member up and verbally label structures to engrain terms.

Body Planes (Sections)

• Sagittal Plane

  • Vertical cut dividing body into right & left halves.

  • “Midsagittal” if cut is exactly on midline.

• Transverse (Horizontal) Plane

  • Cross-section producing superior & inferior parts (top/bottom).

• Frontal (Coronal) Plane

  • Vertical cut dividing body into anterior & posterior (front/back).

• Radiology & surgical teams specify images/approaches by these planes.

Axial vs. Appendicular Regions

• Axial skeleton (gray in slide): skull, vertebral column, rib cage—core of body.

• Appendicular skeleton (flesh-color in slide): limbs & girdles; think “appendages.”

• Additional regional terms (Table 1-3, p. 14):

  • Occipital (posterior skull), brachial (arm/upper arm), abdominal, pectoral (chest), thoracic, lumbar, etc.

  • Recognizing Latin/Greek roots (e.g., pectoralis → chest) helps decode unfamiliar terms.

Body Cavities

• Two primary cavities:

  1. Dorsal cavity

  • Cranial cavity (houses brain).

  • Vertebral canal (spinal cord).

  1. Ventral cavity (larger, anterior):

  • Thoracic cavity
    • Pleural cavities (lungs).
    • Mediastinum (heart, major vessels).

  • Diaphragm (large dome-shaped muscle) separates thoracic from abdominopelvic cavity; rises & falls with breathing.

  • Abdominopelvic cavity
    • Upper part = abdominal cavity (stomach, liver, intestines, etc.).
    • Lower part = pelvic cavity (bladder, reproductive organs, rectum).

• Torso/trunk defined as thorax + abdomen + pelvis.

• Cadaver images used in class showed visceral layout inside each cavity.

Abdominal Quadrants (4-Quadrant System)

• Created by one midsagittal & one transverse line through the umbilicus.

• Names & abbreviations used in nursing notes:

  • RUQ (Right Upper Quadrant)

  • RLQ (Right Lower Quadrant)

  • LUQ (Left Upper Quadrant)

  • LLQ (Left Lower Quadrant)

• Clinical relevance:

  • During palpation or auscultation, nurse must know which organs reside in the quadrant being examined.

  • Example: lack of bowel sounds in RLQ may hint at appendiceal issue.

  • Precision matters in hand-off reports: “Patient experienced tenderness in LUQ” vs. generic “tummy sore.”

Abdominopelvic Nine-Region System

• Offers higher spatial resolution than 4-quadrant model; created by two vertical & two horizontal lines.

• Central column (top → bottom):

  1. Epigastric region – common site of heartburn (“epi-” = upon, “gastric” = stomach).

  2. Umbilical region (surrounds navel).

  3. Hypogastric (pubic) region.

• Right/Left columns (superior → inferior):

  • Right Hypochondriac | Left Hypochondriac (under costal cartilages).

  • Right Lumbar | Left Lumbar (lateral to lumbar spine).

  • Right Iliac (Inguinal)| Left Iliac (Inguinal) (near iliac crests of pelvis).

• Iliac reference: feel the crest at top of pelvis to orient location.

Practical Applications and Study Tips

• Use family/friends as 3-D models; physically point & verbalize terms.

• Relate terms to everyday contexts:

  • “Superficial scratch” vs. “deep laceration.”

  • Describing athletic injuries (e.g., distal radius fracture).

• When reviewing CT/MRI reports, match stated plane (sagittal, coronal, transverse) to mental image of slice orientation.

• Re-test yourself: choose any term (e.g., "posterior") and create a sentence (“The kidneys are posterior to the intestines”).

• Keep textbook open (esp. p. 14 Table 1-3) for expanded list of regional names.

• Reinforce learning by charting fictional patients with detailed quadrant/region notes.