Anatomical Terminology Flashcards by Kayleigh Ann

What is the anatomical body position

Acts as a point of reference for all movements:
- standing upright with feet together
- mouth is closed
- face looks forward
- hands by the side
- fingers are straight
- palms of the hands face forward
- thumbs point away from the body
- toes point forward

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What is the anatomical nomenclature

Anatomical planes
Regional terms
Directional terms

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What is a plane

An imaginary flat surface running through the body

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What are the four anatomical body planes

Cornoal plane
Sagittal plane
Midsagittal (median) plane
Transverse plane

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What is the coronal plane

Oriented vertically
Divides the body into anterior and posterior parts

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What is the sagittal plane

Orientated vertically
Divides the body into right and left parts

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What is the midsagittal plane

Lies exactly in the midline vertically

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What is the midline of the body

An imaginary vertical line dividing the body equally

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What is the parasaggital plane

Para=near
A sagittal plane that lies offset from the midline

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What is the transverse (horizontal) plane

Oriented horizontally
Divides the body into superior and inferior parts

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What are the regional terms

Names of specific body areas (e.g. thorax, abdomen, back)

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What are the body divisions

Axial regions
Appendicular region

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What are the axial regions

Forms the main axis of the body, e.g.
- Head
- Neck
- Trunk

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What makes up the axial skeleton

Skull
Thoracic cage
Vertebral column

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What is the appendicular region

Consists of the limbs

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What makes up the appendicular skeleton

Upper limb bones
Lower limb bones

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What are directional terms

Allow us to precisley explain where one structure lies in relation to another

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What are the most common directional terms used

Superior/inferior
Medial/lateral
Anterior/posterior
Cranial/caudal
Superficial/deep

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What is superior and an example

Upper part of a structure or the body; ABOVE
E.g. the head is superior to the neck

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What is inferior and an example

Toward the lower part of the body; BELOW
E.g. the thorax is inferior to the neck

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What is medial and an example

Toward or at the midline of the body; ON THE INNER SIDE OF
E.g. the heart is medial to the lungs

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What is lateral and an example

Away from the midline of the body; ON THE OUTER SIDE OF
E.g. the lungs lie lateral to the heart

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What is ipsilateral and an example

On the same side
E.g. the right upper limb and right upper limb are ipsilateral

What is contralateral and an example

On opposite sites
E.g. the right upper limb and left lower limb are contralateral

What is anterior (ventral) and an example

- Toward or at the front of the body; IN FRONT OF - E.g. the sternum is anterior to the heart

What is posterior (dorsal) and an example

- Toward or at the back of the body; BEHIND - E.g. the heart is posterior to the sternum

Are the terms anterior and ventral & posterior and dorsal synonymous in humans

Yes, but not in four-legged animals

What is cranial

Toward the head end

What is caudal

Away from the head end; refers to the tail (inferior)

What is superficial (external) and an example

- Toward or at the body surface - E.g. the skin is superficial to the muscles

What is deep (internal) and an example

- Away from the body surface; more internal - E.g. the muscles are deep to the skin

What is proximal and an example

- Closer to the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk - E.g. the forearm is proximal to the hand

What is distal and an example

- Farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk - E.g. the hands is distal to the forearm// the forearm is distal to the arm

What is flexion and examples

- Decreases the angle between two bones - E.g. trunk, neck, arm, hip, finger and leg flexions

What is extension and examples

- Increases the angle between two bones - E.g. trunk, neck, finger, arm and leg extensions

What is medial rotation

Rotating toward the medial plane

What is lateral rotation

Rotating away from the medial plane

What is circumduction

Moving a limb or finger so that it describes a cone in space

What are some examples of circumduction

- Hip circumduction - Shoulder circumduction - Wrist/hand circumduction - Thumb circumduction - Finger circumduction - Ankle/foot circumduction - Toe circumduction - Head circumduction

What is adduction and examples

- Moving a limb towards the body midline - E.g. finger and wrist adduction

What is abduction and examples

- Moving a limb away from the body midline - E.g. finger and wrist abduction

What is thumb opposition

Moving the thumb to touch the tips of the other fingers

What is dorsiflexion

Lifting the foot or hand (superiorly)

What is dorsiflexion of the foot

Lifting the foot so its superior (dorsum) surface approaches the leg

What is dorsiflexion of the hand

- Same as hand extension - Lifting the hand so its dorsum approaches the forearm

What is plantar flexion

Depressing the foot elevating the heel

What is eversion

Turning the sole of the foot laterally (eversion sprains)

What is inversion

Turning the sole of the foot medially (inversion sprains)

What makes up the upper limb from proximal (upper end) to distal (lower end)

- Neck - Shoulder - Arm - Forearm - Hand

What is the palmer surface and dorsum of the hand

- Palmer (palm) = anterior - Dorsum = posterior

What is supination

Rotation of forearm resulting in the palm of the hand facing anteriorly

What is pronation

Rotation of forearm resulting in the palm of the hand facing posteriorly

What is protraction

Moving a body part in the anterior direction e.g. of the mandible

What is retraction

Moving a body part in the posterior direction e.g. of the mandible

What is elevation

Lifting a body part superiorly e.g. of shoulders or mandible

What is depression

Moving a body part inferiorly e.g. of the shoulders or mandible