25 - Anatomical Terminology

Question 1

What is the anatomical position?

Answer 1

• Standing
• Face forwards, eyes and toes pointing in the same direction
• Arms at your sides with palms facing forwards
• Lower limbs close together with feet parallel to each other

Question 2

What are the three planes of the body?

Answer 2

• Sagittal
• Coronal
• Transverse (axial)

Question 3

What term is used to describe a structure further from the mid-sagittal plane?

Answer 3

Lateral

Question 4

What terms are used for:

• towards the front?
• towards the back?
• upper?
• lower?

Answer 4

• Anterior
• Posterior
• Superior
• Inferior

Question 5

What extra terms are used when describing embryos?

Answer 5

Cranial and caudal

Question 6

What word means ‘towards the midline’?

Answer 6

Medial

Question 7

Define:

• Proximal

- Distal

Answer 7

Proximal - closer to the point of attachment

Distal - further from the point of attachment

Question 8

What specialised terms are used to describe the surfaces of the hands and feet?

Answer 8

Hands - palmar and dorsal

Feet - plantar and dorsal

Question 9

What terms mean:

• nearer to the surface?
• further from the surface?

Answer 9

• Superficial

- Deep

Question 10

Structures on the same side are ………….. to each other. Structures on opposite sides are ………….. to each other.

Answer 10

Ipsilateral

Contralateral

Question 11

What are flexion and extension movements?

Answer 11

Flexion - movement of a joint away from the anatomical position in the sagittal plane

Extension - return of a joint to the anatomical position after flexion

Question 12

What is abduction?

Answer 12

Moving structures away from the midline in the coronal plane

Question 13

What is adduction?

Answer 13

Bringing structures back to the midline in the coronal plane, can adduct beyond the midline

Question 14

What movements occur in the transverse plane?

Answer 14

Lateral and medial rotations

Question 15

What is circumduction?

Answer 15

Combination of flexion, extension, abduction and adduction resulting in circular movements of limbs.

Question 16

What is supination?

Answer 16

Movement into the supine position (laying on back in anatomical position)

Question 17

What is pronation?

Answer 17

Movement into the prone position (laying on front in anatomical position)

Question 18

What are opposition and reposition in the hand?

Answer 18

Opposition - touching thumb to fingers

Reposition - returning thumb back to anatomical position

Question 19

What are dorsiflexion and plantarflexion in the foot?

Answer 19

Dorsiflexion - moving the ankle upward (lifting toes)

Plantarflexion - moving the ankle downward (toes down)

Question 20

What are eversion and inversion in the foot?

Answer 20

Eversion - twisting the ankle to point the plantar surface outward
Inversion - twisting the ankle to point the plantar surface inward

Question 21

Why does flexion and extension of the thumb occur in the coronal plane (not sagittal)?

What movement of the thumb occurs in the sagittal plane?

Answer 21

Thumb is rotated by 90 degrees compared to fingers

Thumb can abduct and adduct in the sagittal plane