What is anatomical terminology?
An international vocabulary that allows precise communication among health professionals and scientists worldwide.
Why is anatomical terminology important?
: It improves accuracy and consistency in communication among healthcare professionals.
What is anatomical positon?
A standard reference position that describes body posture and the relationship of one body part to another
What does supine mean? What does prone mean?
Supine means face up and prone means face down
Define superior and inferior
Superior means towards the head; above (so the nose is superior to the mouth, since its above)
Inferior means towards the feet; below
An example of this is that the stomach is inferior to the heart
Anterior vs posterior
Anterior means toward the front of the body, for example the sternum is anterior to the heart
Posterior is toward the back of the body, for example the spine is posterior to the sternum
Medial vs lateral
Medial means towards the midline of the body. For example, the heart is medial to the lungs (or the nose is medial to the eyes!)
Lateral means away from the midline of the body, for example, the lungs are lateral to the heart (or the ears are lateral to the nose!)
Proximal vs distal
Proximal means closer to the trunk or point of origin. For example, the elbow is proximal to the waste
Distal means away from the trunk or point of origin. For example, the fingers are distal to the elbow
Superficial vs deep
Superficial means closer to the surface fo the body, for example, the skin is superficial to the muscles
Deep means farther from the surface of the body, so the bones are deep in the muscles
Bilateral vs ipsilateral vs contralateral
Bilateral means its present on both sides of the body, for example, the lungs are bilateral organs
Ipsilateral means that its present on the same side of the body, for example, the right arm and right leg are ipsilateral
Contralateral means they’re on opposite sides of the body, for example, the right arm and left leg are contralateral.
What is the sagittal plane? Midsagittal plane? Frontal(coronal) plane? Transverse plane?
The sagittal plane divides the body into right and left sections (doesn’t have to be equal)
The midsagittal plane divides the body into EQUAL right and left halves
The frontal/coronal plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions
The transverse/horizontal plane divides the body into upper and lower elements
What are the two main body cavities and what are their overall functions
Dorsal and ventral cavities
They protect internal organs and allow organs to change shape and position
What structures make up the dorsal body cavity
- the cranial cavity which contains the brain
- the spinal (vertebral) cavity which contains the spinal cord
Together, they protect the central nervous system
What is the cranial cavity?
The space inside the skull that houses and protects the brain. For example, a concussion affects structure within the cranial cavity
What is the spinal (vertebral) cavity?
The space within the vertebral column that encloses and protects the spinal cord. For example, a herniated disc can compress structures within the spinal cavity
What structure makes up the ventral body cavity? What seperates them? Briefly explain each/
- the thoracic cavity
(The upper ventral cavity that contains the heart and the lungs!) - the abdominopelvic cavity
(The lower ventral cavity that contains organs involved in digestion, excretion and reproduction)
Both separated by the diaphragm
What is the thoracic cavity again? Go more in depth about its key subdivisions
The upper ventral cavity that contains the heart and the lungs.
The pleural cavities is where the lungs are and is lined by pleura
The mediastinum is the central region of the thoracic cavity between the lungs and contains the heart, the trachea, the esophagus, thymus gland, and major blood vessels. (Doesn’t contain the lungs though, just in between it, it contains the heart)
What is the diaphragm and why is it important?
A dome shaped muscle that seperates the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities and plays a major role in breathing
What is the abdominopelvic cavity?
The lower ventral body cavity that contains organs involved in digestion, excretion, and reproduction and is divided into two key subdivisions
- abdodminal cavity (stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, small intestine, most of large intestine)
- pelvic cavity (urinary bladder, reproductive organs, end of large intestine)
What organs are found in the abdominal cavity
Stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, small intestine, the large intestine
what organs are found in the pelvic cavity?
urinary bladder, reproductive organs, end of large intestine
what are the small cavities in the head?
oral cavity
nasal cavity
orbital cavities
middle ear cavities
how is the abdominopelvic region divided?
its divided into four quadrants:
- right upper quadrant (RUQ)
- left upper quadrant (LUQ)
- right lower quarant (RLQ)
- left lower quadrant (LLQ)
what are the abdominopelvic regions and how many are there?
There are nine regions
Upper: right hypochondriac, epigastric, and left hypochondriac
Middle: right lumber, umbilical, left lumber
Lower: right iliac (inguinal), hypogastric, left iliac (inguinal)
