Anatomical Planes & Directions (EXAM 1)

Question 1

Why planes?

Answer 1

Body is 3D
terminology needed to describe cuts
describe relationship between one structure to another

Question 2

Coronal/Front plane

Answer 2

Crown, front half
splits into front half and back half (Half does not have to be half)

HTR: Crown on head’s placement is the line of cutting

Question 3

Transverse plane

Answer 3

Side to side, horizontal cut
Splits into upper and lower halves

Question 4

Sagittal plane

Answer 4

Cuts body like an arrow dragged all the way down
Splits into right and left halves

Question 5

Medial

Answer 5

Closer to middle of the body
Sagittal view
i.e. the chest is medial to the elbow

Question 6

Lateral

Answer 6

Away from middle of the body
phantom view of side
i.e. the elbow is lateral to the chest

Question 7

Anterior/Ventral

Answer 7

Front of the body
View from front of body
i.e. the abdomen is anterior to the butt

Question 8

Posterior/Dorsal

Answer 8

Back of the body
view from back of body
i.e. the butt is posterior to the abdomen

Question 9

Superior/Cephalic

Answer 9

Towards the head, top
Aerial view
i.e. the neck is superior to the chest

Question 10

Inferior/Caudal

Answer 10

Towards the feet, bottom
View from below
i.e. the ankles are inferior to the knees

Question 11

Superficial

Answer 11

Closer to the surface of the skin
i.e. the skin is superficial than the lungs

Question 12

Deep

Answer 12

Away from surface of the skin
i.e. the lungs are deeper than the skin

Question 13

Proximal

Answer 13

Closer to big joins connected to main body
i.e. elbow is more proximal than fingers

Question 14

Distal

Answer 14

Away from the big joints connected to main body
i.e. fingers are more distal than elbow