Chapter 1: 1.4 Basic Anatomical Terminology

Question 1

Anatomical Position

Answer 1

• A position of the body universally used in anatomical descriptions in which the body is erect, the head is level, the eyes face forward, the upper limbs are at the sides, the palms face forward, and the feet are flat on the floor

Question 2

Prone position

Answer 2

Body is laying face down

Question 3

Supine position

Answer 3

Body is lying face up

Question 4

The human body is divided into several major regions: 5 regions

Answer 4

• Head
• Neck
• Trunk
• Upper limbs
• Lower limbs

Question 5

Head (location)

Answer 5

• The superior portion of the body that is attached to the trunk by the neck

Question 6

Head (components)

Answer 6

• Consists of bones and associated soft tissues such as the skin, muscles, and nervous system structures
• The bones of the skull are grouped into two categories: cranial cavity bones and facial bones
• The cranial cavity bones enclose and protect the brain
• The facial bones form the anterior (front) portion of the skull

Question 7

Neck

Answer 7

• Supports the head and attaches it to the remainder of the trunk

Question 8

Trunk (components)

Answer 8

• Thorax
• Abdomen
• Pelvis

Question 9

Upper limb (extremity)

Answer 9

• Attached to the trunk by the pectoral girdle and consists of the shoulder, armpit, arm (portion of limb from the shoulder to the elbow), forearm (portion of the limb from the elbow to the wrist), wrist, and hand

Question 10

Lower limb (extremity)

Answer 10

• Attached to the trunk by the pelvic girdle and consists of the buttock, thigh (portion of the limb from the buttock to the knee), leg (portion of the limb from the knee to the ankle), ankle, and foot

Question 11

Groin

Answer 11

• The area on the front surface of the body marked by a crease on each side, where the trunk attaches to the thighs

Question 12

Plane

Answer 12

• An imaginary flat surface, like a sheet of glass that passes through the body

Question 13

Sagittal plane

Answer 13

• sagitta = arrow
• Longitudinal plane that divides the body or organ into right and left sides

Question 14

Median plane

Answer 14

• A plane that passes through the midline of the body and divides it into equal right and left sides

Question 15

Midline

Answer 15

• Imaginary longitudinal line that divides the body into equal left and right sides

Question 16

Paramedian plane

Answer 16

• does not pass through the midline and divides the body into unequal right and left sides

Question 17

Coronal plane

Answer 17

• Frontal plane
• longitudinal plane but divides the body or an organ into front and back portions

Question 18

Transverse plane

Answer 18

• Cross-sectional or horizontal plane or axial plane/ section
• Horizontal plane that divides the body or an organ into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions

Question 19

Median, paramedian, coronal, and transverse planes are all at __________ angles to one another

Answer 19

• Right

Question 20

Oblique plane

Answer 20

• Passes through the body or organ at an oblique angle (any angle other than a 90 degree angle)

Question 21

What plane divides the heart into anterior and posterior portions?

Answer 21

• Coronal plane

Question 22

Sections

Answer 22

• Cuts of the body or one of its organs made along one of the three planes
• Produces a flat two-dimensional surface of the original three-dimensional structure

Question 23

What plane divides the body into left and right sides?

Answer 23

• Median plane

Question 24

Directional terms

Answer 24

• Words that describe the position of one body part relative to another
• Have relative meanings; they make sense only when used to describe the position of one structure relative to another

Question 25

Directional term: Superior

Answer 25

- Above or higher in position - Toward the head - (Not used in reference to relative positions within the limbs) - The heart is superior to the liver

Question 26

Directional terms: Cranial

Answer 26

- Relating to the skull or head - Toward the head - (This is a more flexible term than superior because it can be applied to all animals, whether they stand upright on two limbs or on all four limbs) - Ex. The stomach is more cranial than the urinary bladder

Question 27

Directional term: Inferior

Answer 27

- Below or lower in position - Toward the feet - Not used in reference to relative positions within the limbs - Ex. The stomach is inferior to the lungs

Question 28

Directional term: Rostral

Answer 28

- Relating to the nose and mouth region - Toward the face - Used only in references within the head - Ex. The frontal lobe of the brain is rostral to the occipital lobe

Question 29

Directional term: Caudal

Answer 29

- Relating to the tail - At or near the tail end of the trunk - Used only in references to relative positions within the trunk - Ex. The lumbar vertebrae are caudal to the cervical vertebrae

Question 30

Directional term: Anterior

Answer 30

- Nearer to or at the front of the body - Ex. The sternum (breastbone) is anterior to the heart

Question 31

Directional term: Posterior

Answer 31

- Nearer to or at the back of the body - Ex. The esophagus (food tube) is posterior to the trachea (windpipe)

Question 32

Directional term: Ventral

Answer 32

- Relating to the belly side of the body - Toward the belly - Used synonymously with anterior in human anatomy) - Ex. The intestines are ventral to the vertebral column

Question 33

Directional term: Dorsal

Answer 33

- Relating to the back side of the body - Toward the back - Used synonymously with posterior in human anatomy - Ex. The kidneys are dorsal or to the stomach

Question 34

Directional term: Medial

Answer 34

- Nearer to the midline - Ex. The ulna is medial to the radius

Question 35

Directional term: Lateral

Answer 35

- Farther from the midline - Ex. The lungs are lateral to the heart

Question 36

Directional term: Intermediate

Answer 36

- Between two structures - Ex. The transverse colon is intermediate to the ascending colon and descending colon

Question 37

Directional term: Ipsilateral

Answer 37

- On the same side of the body's midline as another structure - Ex. The gallbladder and ascending colon are ipsilateral organs

Question 38

Directional term: Contralateral

Answer 38

- On the opposite side of the body's midline from another structure - Ex. The ascending and descending colons are contralateral organs

Question 39

Directional term: Proximal

Answer 39

- Nearer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk - Nearer to the origination of a structure - Ex. The humerus (arm bone) is proximal to the radius

Question 40

Directional term: Distal

Answer 40

- Farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk - Farther from the origination of a structure - Ex. The phalanges (finger bones) are distal to the carpals (wrist bone)

Question 41

Directional term: Superficial

Answer 41

- Toward or on the surface of the body - Ex. The ribs are superficial to the lungs

Question 42

Directional term: Deep

Answer 42

- Away from the surface of the body - Ex. The ribs are deep to the skin of the chest and back

Question 43

Directional term: External

Answer 43

- Toward the outside of a structure - Typically used when describing relationships of individual organs - Ex. The visceral pleura is on the external surface of the lungs

Question 44

Directional term: Internal

Answer 44

- Toward the inside of the structure - Typically used when describing relationships of individual organs - Ex. The mucosa forms the internal lining of the stomach