Anatomical Terminology Flashcards
anatomical position
Standing erect
Head level and eyes facing forward
Upper limbs at the sides with palms turned forward
Lower limbs such that the feet are flat on the floor and directed forward
Head
Cephalic
Neck
Cervical
Chest, abdomen, pelvis
Trunk
Chest/upper back
Thoracic
Lower back
lumbar
Butt
gluteal
Arm (shoulder to elbow)
Brachial
Forearm (elbow to wrist)
Antebrachial
wrist
Carpal
Hand
Palmar/dorsal
Thigh (hip to knee)
Femoral
Leg (knee to ankle)
Crural
Ankle
Tarsal
Foot
Plantar/dorsal
Cranial cavity:
Formed by cranial bones and contains brain.
Vertebral canal:
Formed by vertebral column and contains spinal cord and the beginnings of spinal nerves.
Thoracic cavity:
Chest cavity; contains pleural and pericardial cavities and the mediastinum.
Pleural cavity:
A potential space between the layers of the pleura that surrounds a lung.
Pericardial cavity:
A potential space between the layers of the pericardium that surrounds the heart.
Mediastinum
Central portion of thoracic cavity between the lungs; extends from sternum to vertebral column and from first rib to diaphragm; contains heart, thymus, esophagus, trachea, and several large blood vessels.
Abdominopelvic cavity:
Subdivided into abdominal and pelvic cavities.
Abdominal cavity:
Contains stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, and most of large intestine; the serous membrane of the abdominal cavity is the peritoneum.
Pelvic cavity:
Contains urinary bladder, portions of large intestine, and internal organs of reproduction.
An imaginary flat surface that passes through the body is called a
plane
A cut through the body (or part of the body) along a plane is called a
section
Lateral
Further from the midline
Medial
Nearer to the midline
Proximal
Nearer to the
attachment of a limb
Distal
Further from the attachment of a limb
Superior (cranial)
toward the head
Inferior (caudal)
away from the head
Posterior (dorsal)
towards the back of the body
anterior (ventral)
toward the front of the body
superficial
toward the surface of the body
ipsilateral
on the same side of the body
Deep
away from the surface of the body
Contralateral
on the opposite side of the body
Sagittal Plane
Vertical
Divides the body (or part) into left and right sides
Midsagittal plane”
The plane passes through the midline
(equal left and right sides)
“Parasagittal plane”
The plane does not pass through the midline (unequal left and right sides)
Frontal coronal plane
Vertical
Divides the body (or part) into anterior and posterior portions
Transverse Plane
Horizontal
Divides the body (or part) into superior and inferior portions
Oblique Plane
Passes through the body (or part) at an angle between two of the other planes
