Anatomical positions

Question 1

• Allows for directional terms to be clear
• Any region of the body can be described relative to another.
• Stand upright facing the observer.
• Feet flat on the floor.
• Arms at side, palms turned forward

Answer 1

Anatomical position

Question 2

• it makes up the main axis of the body.
• It includes the head (cephalon) which includes the skull and face, the neck (cervicis) which supports the head and attaches it to the trunk, and the trunk (thoracics). The trunk includes the chest, abdomen and pelvis.

Answer 2

Axial

Question 3

• consists of the upper and lower limbs which are attached to the body’s axis by girdles.
• Regional terms are used to designate specific areas within these major body divisions.

Answer 3

appendicular

Question 4

• Toward the head or upper part of a structure.
• If one structure is closer to the head compared to another, we say it is ___ or ____
• For example, the nose is ___ (or ___) to the mouth.
  *

Answer 4

superior or cranial

Question 5

• Away from the head
• EX: , the mouth is ___ or ___ to the nose.

Answer 5

inferior or caudal

Question 6

• Nearer the front of the body.
• In bipedal humans, the front of the body is ___ or ___

Answer 6

Anterior or ventral

Question 7

• Nearer to the back of the body
• the back is ___ or ___ (this isn’t the case in our four legged, quadrapedal friends like the cat or pig we will dissect. In the cat, the back is dorsal but the tail is caudal or posterior; the head is anterior or cranial but the belly is ventral.

Answer 7

posterior or dorsal

Question 8

• If we are comparing two structures that are on the same side of the midline of the body (as seen in red in the slide), those structures are ___ to each other.
• In the example above, the brachium and femur (red) are ____

Answer 8

ipsilateral

Question 9

• Conversely, if two structures are on opposite sides of the midline of the body (blue), they are ___
• These two terms are used a lot when discussing nervous system structures.
• the brachium and crus (blue) are ___

Answer 9

contralateral

Question 10

• Nearer to the attachment of a limb, the trunk or a structure.
• means closer to the origin of the body part or closer to the point of attachment of a limb to the trunk
• the acromion is ____ to the olecranon.
• The antecubitis is ___ to the carpus;
• the carpus is ___l to the pollex.

Answer 10

proximal

Question 11

• Farther from the point of attachment
• means the opposite of proximal
• The olecranon is ___ to the acromion

Answer 11

Distal

Question 12

• means that a structure is farther away from the midline of the body compared to another.
• The ears are ___ to the nose.

Answer 12

lateral

Question 13

• means that a body part is closer to the midline compared to another. T
• he mouth is ___ to the ears.

Answer 13

medial

Question 14

• means that the body part of interest lies between a more medial and more lateral structure.
• The collarbone is __ between the breastbone and shoulder (acromion).

Answer 14

intermediate

Question 15

• when the subject is lying on their back with their ventral surface facing the investigator.
• Anterior or ventral surface is facing up

Answer 15

supine

Question 16

• they are lying on their ventral surface or face down with their dorsal surface facing up.
• Patient is lying face down

Answer 16

prone

Question 17

• means that a structure is closer to the surface of the body compared to another
• For example, the skin is ___ to the muscles
• toward or on the surface of the body

Answer 17

superficial

Question 18

• a structure is farther away from the surface compared to another. F
• The heart is ___ to the sternum.
• Away from the surface of the body

Answer 18

deep

Question 19

• vertical plane that divides the body or an organ into right and left parts.
• “arrow”

Answer 19

sagittal

Question 20

• If a sagittal plane passes exactly down the midline of the body, it is called a ___

Answer 20

midsagittal or median plane

Question 21

If it passes through the body off the midline and divides the body into unequal right and left parts, the plane is called a ___ (“para” means beside, or next to).

Question 22

Divides the body or organ into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.

Answer 22

frontal or coronal

Question 23

• passes horizontally from right to left and divides the body into superior and inferior portions.
• can be made anywhere between the head and toes.
• is also called a cross section.

Answer 23

transverse or horizontal plane

Question 24

• Cuts made diagonally between the horizontal and vertical planes are called __

Answer 24

oblique sections