Anotomical Planes and Directions Flashcards
Coronal Plane
Oriented vertically and divide the body into anterior and posterior parts
Sagittal planes
Oriented vertically divide the body into right and left parts.
The median sagittal plane passes through the center of the body dividing it into equal left and right halves.
Transverse, horizontal, or axial planes
Divide the body into superior and inferior parts
Anterior (ventral)
Front of the body
Example. The nose is an anterior structure
Posterior (dorsal)
Back of the body
Example. The Vertebral column is a posterior (dorsal) structure
Medial
Closer to the median sagittal plane
Lateral
Away from the medial sagittal plane
Example. The thumb is lateral to the little finger in the anatomical position
Superior
In reference to the vertical axis
The head is superior to the shoulders
Inferior
In reference to the vertical axis
The knee joint is inferior to the hip joint
Proximal
With reference to being closer to the structures origin
The glenohumeral joint is proximal to the elbow joint.
Distal
With reference to being farther away from the structures origin
The hand is distal to the elbow joint
Cranial
Toward the head. Can be used in lieu of superior
Caudal
Toward the tail. Can be used in lieu of inferior
Rostral
Used in the head, to describe the position of a structure with reference to the nose.
The forebrain is rostral to the hindbrain
Superficial
Used to describe structures closer to the surface of the body
Also used in a more absolute fashion. The superficial region is external to the outer layer of deep fascia. Superficial region includes the skin, superficial fascia, and mammary glands.
