Anatomical Terminology

Question 1

what is the standard anatomical position?

Answer 1

• body upright
• standing straight up
• head and eyes facing forward
• feet flat and forward
• upper limbs to the side
• palms turn forward

Question 2

prone position

Answer 2

body lying face down

Question 3

supine position

Answer 3

body lying face up

Question 4

anterior

Answer 4

toward the head

Question 5

posterior

Answer 5

toward the tail

Question 6

dorsal

Answer 6

back side (same as posterior but dorsal refers to animals)

Question 7

ventral

Answer 7

front/belly side (same as anterior but ventral refers to animals)

Question 8

superior

Answer 8

closer to the head

Question 9

inferior

Answer 9

closer to the feet

Question 10

proximal

Answer 10

near to the attachment of a limb to the trunk

Question 11

distal

Answer 11

farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk

Question 12

lateral

Answer 12

farther from the midline

Question 13

medial

Answer 13

closer to the midline

Question 14

planes/sections

Answer 14

imaginary flat surfaces that pass through the body/body parts

Question 15

types of planes (covered in class)

Answer 15

• sagittal plane
• transverse plane
• frontal plane
• oblique plane

Question 16

sagittal plane

Answer 16

splits the body into right and left sides

Question 17

types of sagittal planes

Answer 17

• mid-sagittal: divides equally left and right (through midline)
• para-sagittal: divides unequally left and right

Question 18

transverse plane/cross-sectional plane

Answer 18

superior (upper) and interior (lower) portions

Question 19

frontal plane

Answer 19

anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions

Question 20

oblique plane

Answer 20

any angled plane, excluding horizontal and vertical

Question 21

viscera

Answer 21

organs of the body (different cavities contain different organs)

Question 22

body cavity

Answer 22

any potential space/space in the body (can contain organs or other structures)
-potential cavities usually contain fluids

Question 23

cranial cavity

Answer 23

formed by cranial bones and contains the brain

Question 24

spinal cavity

Answer 24

contains the spinal cord

• is formed by vertebral column
• have the beginnings of spinal nerves

Question 25

thoracic cavity (chest cavity)

Answer 25

• protects the thoracic wall (ribs, lungs, heart, muscle)

- has three other compartments/cavities inside of it

Question 26

The 3 thoracic cavities

Answer 26

• pericardial cavity
• pleural cavity
• mediastinum

Question 27

pericardial cavity

Answer 27

fluid filled space that surrounds the heart

Question 28

pleural cavity

Answer 28

two fluid filled spaces that surround each lung

Question 29

mediastinum

Answer 29

central of thoracic cavity between the lungs (first rib to the diaphragm)
-the diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity

Question 30

abdominopelvic cavity

Answer 30

contains the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity

Question 31

abdominal cavity

Answer 31

stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, small and large intestine

Question 32

pelvic cavity

Answer 32

urinary bladder, internal reproductive organs, portions of large intestine

Question 33

abduction

Answer 33

lateral movement away from the midline of the trunk in frontal plane
ex. raising arms or legs to side horizontally

Question 34

adduction

Answer 34

movement medially toward the midline of the trunk in frontal plane
ex. lowering arms or legs to side horizontally