Anatomical Terminology Lecture Flashcards
Describe the anatomical position and state why it is necessary
To locate and describe body structures in relation to each other in a consistent, standardised way.
Standing upright and facing forward. Upper limbs hang at either side, and the palms face forward.
The feet are parallel to one another, and the toes point anteriorly.
Name and describe the orientation of the body planes
Mid-sagittal plane or Median plane: a vertical plane that passes longitudinally (up and down) through the body’s centre and equally divides the body into right and left halves.
Sagittal plane: a vertical plane running parallel to the midline and dividing the body into left and right sections. (down the middle)
Coronal/Frontal plane: a vertical plane that divides the body into a front (anterior) section and a back (posterior) section. (cut down to be bit in front and bit in back)
Transverse plane: a horizontal line that divides the body into an upper (superior) and a lower (inferior) section. (cut through the middle)
Oblique plane: do not align with the other planes. (a bit of a random one)
Describe the main terms of direction, e.g., superior, inferior, proximal, distal, etc. (HINT THERES 6)
Medial means towards the midline, and lateral means away from the midline.
These terms refer to the vertical axis. Superior (Cranial) means ‘higher’ (nearer to head), and inferior (caudal) means ‘lower’. (nearer to feet).
Proximal and distal are used in structures that are considered to have a beginning and an end (such as the upper limb, lower limb and blood vessels). They describe the position of a structure with reference to its origin (or nearer to the trunk) – proximal means closer to its origin, and distal means further away.
Describe the main terms of body movement (e.g., flexion, extension, rotation etc.). (HINT THERES 9)
Flexion- Extension
Abduction (up)- Adduction (down)
Medial rotation - Lateral rotation
Circumduction - Combo of flexion, extension, etc as it is circular motion
Pronation (palm back) - Supination (palm forward) (forearm)
Elevation - Depression
Protraction – Retraction
Dorsiflexion (up) – Plantarflexion (down) (feet)
Inversion (in) - Eversion (out) (feet)
What do the linguistic origins of anatomical terminology assist in?
The understanding and memorising the numerous terms encountered in the study of Anatomy.
Describe the 14 main positional terms…
~ Bilateral: Involving both sides of the body
~ Unilateral: Involving one side of the body
~ Ipsilateral: On the same side of the body
~ Contralateral: On opposite sides of the body
~ Parietal: Relating to a body cavity wall (pariet=cavity wall)
~ Visceral: Relating to organs (viscera) within body cavities
~ Right: The patient’s right
~ Left: The patient’s left
~ Prone: Lying on the stomach
~ Supine/Recumbent: Lying on the back
~ Trunk: Body minus the 4 limbs
~ Median: The midline of the body or structure
~ Superficial: Nearer the surface of the body or structure
~ Deep/Internal: Further away from the surface of the body or structure
What are the 2 main body cavities?
Ventral - Front
Dorsal - Back
