ANATOMICAL TERMS Flashcards
ANATOMICAL POSITION 1
Describing human body: assume body is in anatomical position
ANATOMICAL POSITION 2
Standing upright/straight backed Palms facing forwards Face directed forward Arms at sides Feet slightly apart and flat on floor
ANATOMICAL POSITION 3
Without anatomical position as a reference, statements of the position of body parts (e.g “sternum is above the heart”) would be vague and possibly incorrect
(It would depend on whether subject was standing, lying face down, lying face up)
PRONE POSITION
Lying chest/face down (flat)
SUPINE POSITION
Lying chest/face up (flat)
ANATOMICAL POSITION 4
Assume all anatomical descriptions refer to anatomical position (unless stated otherwise)
ANATOMICAL POSITION 5
Subject facing you - subject’s left will be your right
E.g left atrium of heart appears towards right side of page
ANATOMICAL PLANES (planes vs Sections)
Planes: imaginary flat surface passing through body
Sections: Cut/slice to reveal internal anatomy
SAGITTAL PLANES
Upright and vertical; Divides body into left and right (medial and lateral)
MIDSAGGITAL
Divides body/organ into into to equal halves (right and left/medial and lateral).
Only 1 possible location
PARASAGGITAL
Off center; divides body or organ into unequal right and left
FRONTAL/CORONAL
Up right and vertical; dividing the body into front and back
Anterior/ventral and posterior/dorsal
HORIZONTAL/TRANSVERSE
Horizontal cuts across body - dividing into upper and lower
Superior/cranial and inferior/cauda
OBLIQUE
Odd angle; not horizontal/verticle (not paralell or right angle)
ANTERIOR/VENTRAL
Towards the front or belly
