Anatomical terminology Flashcards
Define the midline
Define parasagittal plane
Define horizontal plane
Define coronal plane
The midline is also known as the sagittal plane and splits the body into 2 equal halves.
Parasagittal plane: If we take a slice in the same direction on either side of the midline
Horizontal plane: divides the body horizontally
Coronal plane: divides the body into front and back portions
Describe regions of the body
• Lower limb= Area between hip and foot…
Leg is only known as between the knee and the ankle
•Upper limb=From shoulder to hand.
Arm is only found between the shoulder and elbow
define superior and inferior
- Superior: towards the head
* Inferior: towards the feet
Define medial and lateral
- Refers regarding to the midline
- Closer to the midline; more medial it is
- Further away; the more lateral it becomes
Define anterior and posterior
- Anterior: goes towards front of body
* Posterior: back of body
Are there any terms only used in the limbs?
- Proximal and distal relate to the limb’s attachment to the body
- So, in the upper limb it is the shoulder and in the lower limb it is the hip
- If something is closer to that attachment and have more proximity; proximal
- Further away from attachment and a greater distance from it; distal
regarding depths within the body, what does superficial and deep mean?
• If something is superficial; close to the surface…E.g. the skin is the most superficial layer of the thigh
• If something is deep; it is hidden inside the body under other tissues.
E.g. Bones are the deepest layer of the thigh.
In between are the muscles; deep to the skin and superficial to the bones
what are the functions of the skeleton?
- Support for soft tissues
- Protects our internal organs; e.g. most of our vital organs are found inside the skull, ribcage or pelvis
- Aids body movements; our body is composed of over 200 bones which interact with each other to form moveable joints.
what is a joint?
When a bone meets another bone, they form an articulation known as a joint. There are 4 main types of joints in the body:
Bony joints- the bones are connected by bone e.g. the 3 bones of the pelvis.
Fibrous joints- the bones are connected by fibres e.g. the bones of the skull.
Cartilaginous- the bones are connected by cartilage
Synovial joints- The most complex type of joint. These joints are highly moveable and are found throughout the body e.g. all of the major joints of the limbs are synovial joints.
In a synovial joint, the smooth articular surfaces
(i.e. the surfaces that form the joint) of the
bones are covered in hyaline cartilage. This is a
glassy, smooth form of cartilage that helps
reduce friction between the bones.
A joint capsule surrounds the joint and usually
contains supportive ligaments.
Inside, the joint capsule is lined by the synovial
membrane. This secretes synovial fluid that’s
essential to nourish and protect the joint.
what are the 6 major types of synovial joints?
the 6 major types of synovial joint are classified by the shape of the bones forming the joint, as well as the movements available at each joint.
- Hinge joint e.g. elbow joint
- Ball and socket e.g. gleno-humeral joint
- Saddle joint e.g. CMC joint of thumb
- Pivot joint e.g. radioulnar joint
- Plane/Gliding e.g. intercarpal joints
- Ellipsoid e.g. radiocarpal joint
(look at pics)
How do muscles generate movement?
Muscle is a tissue that’s able to generate
movement by either contracting or relaxing.
(N.B although there are three types of muscle
found in the body, anything beyond this point is
only referring to skeletal muscle, the consciously-
controlled muscle that moves our skeleton).
Muscles generate movement by moving the
bones of the body closer to, or further apart
from, one another. They’re able to do this
because of the joints between the bones.
But how exactly do muscles create these
movements? Well, whilst each muscle may
function slightly differently, they share some
important biomechanical principles.
what are the muscles’ biomechanical points?
if not understood, go over the slides
to have an action, a muscle must
have at least two attachments.
to have an action at a joint, a muscle needs to attach on either side of the joint.
In fact, a muscle will have an action at every
joint it crosses.
we need at least one muscle for
every possible movement at a joint.
what is the nervous system divided into?
The nervous system controls everything in the
body, and is divided into a central nervous
system (the brain and spinal cord) and peripheral
nervous system (everything else).
We can also divide the nervous system by it’s
function.
The somatic nervous system is concerned with
voluntary control of the body. The autonomic
nervous system regulates unconscious bodily
functions such as heart rate or digestion.
describe the arteries
The arteries are blood vessels that carry blood
away from the heart (remember, Arteries take
blood Away).
This blood is at high pressure, so arterial walls
need to be thick, with muscle and elastic fibres
to support them. Because of this, they tend to
keep their shape, even after death. If you
palpate (feel) them on the cadaver, they should
feel ‘springy’ – a bit like a hosepipe.
Arteries spread into the body like the branches
of a tree, dividing into smaller and smaller
vessels as they reach the extremities.
Describe the veins
The veins take blood in the opposite direction,
returning it to the heart (remember, veINs take
blood IN).
These are more like the roots of a tree, starting
as hundreds of small vessels that unite to form
increasingly large veins.
Blood in the veins is at low pressure, so the walls
can be relatively thin. They’ll often appear baggy
and blue-ish on the cadaver. They also contain
valves that ensure blood only travels in one
direction.
