Basic Anatomical Terms

Question 1

Regions of the body

Answer 1

head, neck, thorax (chest), abdomen, inguinal region, pelvis and perineum, upper limb, lower limb, back

Question 2

anatomical position

Answer 2

standing facing forwards, palms face up, face and eyes anterior, upper limbs by side, feet together, toes pointing anteriorly

Question 3

patient position supine

Answer 3

lying on their back

Question 4

patient position prone

Answer 4

lying on stomach

Question 5

sagittal plane

Answer 5

through front-back

Question 6

coronal plane

Answer 6

through coronal suture

Question 7

axial plane

Answer 7

through the middle (i.e. CT)

Question 8

anterior and posterior

Answer 8

front and back

Question 9

superior and inferior

Answer 9

close to head or feet

Question 10

cranial or caudal

Answer 10

close to head or feet

Question 11

medial or lateral

Answer 11

close to midline or away

Question 12

proximal or distal

Answer 12

near attachment to body or away from

Question 13

superficial or deep

Answer 13

near surface of body or further

Question 14

external or internal

Answer 14

further from centre of body or organ or nearer

Question 15

dorsal

Answer 15

posterior surface

Question 16

volar

Answer 16

anterior surface of wrist

Question 17

palmar

Answer 17

anterior surface of hand (referring to anatomical position)

Question 18

ventral

Answer 18

anterior surface of the tongue

Question 19

plantar

Answer 19

inferior surface of the foot

Question 20

unilateral

Answer 20

only found on one side of the body

Question 21

bilateral

Answer 21

normally paired structures

Question 22

midline

Answer 22

single structure in/or near midline

Question 23

ipsilateral

Answer 23

structure on the same side of the body as the other structure

Question 24

contralateral

Answer 24

structure lies on opposite site of the body

Question 25

flexion

Answer 25

decreasing the angle between bones at joints

Question 26

extension

Answer 26

increasing the angle between the bones at a joint

Question 27

abduction

Answer 27

away from median place

Question 28

adduction

Answer 28

towards median plane

Question 29

internal/medial rotation

Answer 29

anterior surface of a limb rotates the median plane

Question 30

external/lateral rotation

Answer 30

anterior surface of limb rotates away from the median plane

Question 31

circumduction

Answer 31

circular motion at a joint

Question 32

eversion

Answer 32

sole of foot moves away from median plane such that the sole faces laterally

Question 33

inversion

Answer 33

sole of foot rotates towards the median plane such that the sole faces medially

Question 34

supination

Answer 34

hold the bowl of soup :)

Question 35

pronation

Answer 35

palm turns posteriorly from anatomical position

Question 36

semi-prone

Answer 36

position of forearm hand midway between supine and prone positions

Question 37

reposition of digits

Answer 37

spread thumb from pinky

Question 38

opposition of digits

Answer 38

thumb and pinky come together

Question 39

elevation

Answer 39

superior movement of shoulder

Question 40

depression

Answer 40

inferior movement of shoulders

Question 41

protraction (protrusion)

Answer 41

anterior movement of shoulder or jaw

Question 42

retraction (retrusion of jaw)

Answer 42

posterior movement of shoulder or jaw

Question 43

lateral flexion

Answer 43

flex from the belly button out