Anatomical Terminology Flashcards
Anatomical position
erect person; face forward, arms by side, palms facing forward; Provides a point of reference to describe different parts of the body
Supine
lying up (palm up)
Prone
face down (palm down)
Superior
towards the head; Head is superior to the neck, knees superior to ankles
Inferior
towards the tail; Pelvis is inferior to stomach, lips are inferior to the eyes
Anterior
front of the body (ventral); Breast is anterior to spine
Posterior
towards the back (dorsal); Ankles are posterior to the toes
Proximal
nearest to point of attachment; Elbows are proximal to the wrist
Distal
furthest from point of attachment; Fingers are distal to the wrist
Medial
towards the midline; Nose is more medial to ears
Lateral
away from midline; Ears are lateral to the lips
Superficial
close to the surface; Epidermis is superficial to the dermis
Deep
towards the interior of; Bone is deep to the adipose tissue
Saggital
divides into L/R halves; doesn’t have to be equal
Midsaggital - divides down midline
Frontal plane (coronal)
divides into anterior and posterior
Transverse plane
divides into superior and inferior
Oblique plane
doesn’t run parallel to frontal or transverse plane; on an angle
Thoracic cavity
Lungs, mediastinum (eosophagus, trachea, thymus and heart)
Diaphragm divides thoracic and abdominal cavity
Abdominal cavity
Stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, kidneys (largest cavity)
Pelvic cavity
Bladder, part of the large intestine, reproductive organs
Abdominopelvic cavity - due to no physical division
