1.4 Basic Anatomical Terminology

Question 1

anatomical position

Answer 1

the standard position of reference for the description of anatomical structures; subject stands erect facing the observer, with the head level and the eyes facing directly forward; the lower limbs are parallel and the feet are flat on the floor and directed forward; the upper limbs are at the sides with the palms facing forward

Question 2

prone position

Answer 2

body is laying face down

Question 3

supine position

Answer 3

body is laying face up

Question 4

plane

Answer 4

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

Question 5

sagittal plane

Answer 5

a longitudinal plane that divides the body or organ into right and left sides

Question 6

median plane

Answer 6

when a plane passses through the midline of the body and divides it into equal right and left sides

Question 7

paramedican plane

Answer 7

the sagittal plane doesn’t pass through the midline of the body and divides the body into unequal right and left sides

Question 8

coronal plane

Answer 8

aka frontal plane or longitudinal plane; divides the body or organ into front and back portions

Question 9

transverse plane

Answer 9

aka cross-sectional plane or horizontal plane; divides the body or organ into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions

Question 10

oblique plane

Answer 10

passes through the body or organ at an oblique angle (any angle that’s not 90 degrees)

Question 11

sections

Answer 11

cuts of the body or organ made along one of the planes previously described

Question 12

superior

Answer 12

above or higher in position; toward the head

Question 13

cranial

Answer 13

relating to the skull or head; toward the head

Question 14

inferior

Answer 14

blows or lower in position; toward the feet

Question 15

rostral

Answer 15

relating to the nose and mouth ; toward the face

Question 16

caudal

Answer 16

relating to the tail; at or near the tail end of the trunk

Question 17

anterior

Answer 17

nearer to or at the front of the body

Question 18

posterior

Answer 18

nearer to or at the back of the body

Question 19

ventral

Answer 19

relating to the belly side of the body; toward the belly

Question 20

dorsal

Answer 20

relating to the back side of the body; toward the back

Question 21

medial

Answer 21

nearer to the midline

Question 22

lateral

Answer 22

farther from the midline

Question 23

intermediate

Answer 23

between two structures

Question 24

ipsilateral

Answer 24

on the same side of the body’s midline as another structure

Question 25

contralateral

Answer 25

on the opposite side of the body’s midline from another structure

Question 26

proximal

Answer 26

nearer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk; nearer to the origin

Question 27

distal

Answer 27

farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk; farther from the origin of a structure

Question 28

superficial

Answer 28

toward or on the surface of the body

Question 29

deep

Answer 29

away from the surface of the body

Question 30

external

Answer 30

toward the outside of the structure

Question 31

internal

Answer 31

toward the inside of a structure