body terminology

Question 1

anterior (or ventral)

Answer 1

front or direction towards the front

Question 2

posterior (or dorsal)

Answer 2

direction towards back of the body

Question 3

inferior (or caudal)

Answer 3

below or lower than another part of the body

Question 3

superior (or cranial)

Answer 3

above or higher than another part of the body

Question 4

lateral

Answer 4

side or direction toward the side of the body

Question 4

medial

Answer 4

middle or direction toward the middle of the body

Question 5

proximal

Answer 5

limb nearer to the point of attachment or trunk of body

Question 6

deep

Answer 6

farther from the surface of the body

Question 7

distal

Answer 7

limb is farther from the point of attachment or trunk of body

Question 8

superficial

Answer 8

closer to the surface of the body

Question 9

prone

Answer 9

face-down

Question 10

supine

Answer 10

face-up

Question 11

anatomical position

Answer 11

the body standing upright, with the feet at shoulder width and parallel, toes forward. The upper limbs are held out to each side, and the palms of the hands face forward.

Question 12

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 12

colorless fluid produced by the brain that cushions the brain and spinal cord within the posterior (dorsal) cavity

Question 13

coelomic

Answer 13

cavities that do not open to the outside

Question 13

cutaneous membrane

Answer 13

epithelial tissue made up of stratified squamous epithelial cells that cover the outside of the body: skin

Question 14

connective tissue

Answer 14

type of tissue that serves to hold in place, connect, and integrate the body’s organs and systems

Question 14

epithelial membrane

Answer 14

epithelium attached to a layer of connective tissue

Question 15

frontal plane

Answer 15

two-dimensional, vertical plane that divides the body or organ into anterior and posterior portions

Question 16

homeostasis

Answer 16

the state of steady internal conditions maintained by living things

Question 17

mucous membrane

Answer 17

epithelial membranes that line the body cavities and hollow passageways that open to the external environment

Question 18

parietal layer

Answer 18

outermost layer of the pleura that connects to the thoracic wall, mediastinum, and diaphragm

Question 19

pericardium

Answer 19

membrane that separates the heart from other mediastinal structures; consists of two distinct, fused sublayers: the fibrous pericardium and the parietal pericardium

Question 20

peritoneum

Answer 20

serous membrane that lines the abdominopelvic cavity and covers the organs found there

Question 21

pleura

Answer 21

the membrane that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity

Question 22

sagittal plane

Answer 22

vertical plane that divides the body or organ into right and left sides

Question 23

serous membrane

Answer 23

one of the thin membranes that cover the walls and organs in the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities

Question 24

serous space

Answer 24

the very thin, fluid-filled space between the parietal and visceral layers

Question 25

synovial membrane

Answer 25

thin layer that lines the inner surface of the joint cavity at a synovial joint; produces the synovial fluid

Question 26

tissue membrane

Answer 26

thin layer or sheet of cells that covers the outside of the body, organs and internal cavities

Question 27

visceral layer

Answer 27

innermost later of the pleura that is superficial to the lungs and extends into the lung fissures