Directional terms Flashcards
What is proximal?
Closer to or towards the trunk of the body (e.g shoulder at top of humerus)
What is distal?
away or farthest from the trunk of the body (e.g where humerus connects to radius and ulna)
What is anterior?
In front
What is posterior?
Behind
What is cranial?
Towards the head
What is post cranial?
Away from the head
What is dorsal?
towards the back of the body
What is ventral?
Towards the front of the body
What is palmar?
Anterior side of the hand
What is plantar?
inferior surface of foot (sole)
What is inferior?
Below, towards the feet
What is superior?
Above, towards the top of the head
What is lateral?
away from the midline
What is medial?
Towards the midline
What is the saggital plane?
Vertical separation of left and right (horizontal)
What is the coronal plane?
Separates the back and front
What is the transverse plane?
Separates top and bottom half
What is endocranial?
Internal surface of the skull
What is ectocranial?
External surface of the skull
What is abduction?
Movement away from the central midline
What is adduction?
moving towards the body
What is opposition?
Movement of the thumb to fingertips e.g pinching
What is flexion and extension?
Bending and extension of a limb
What is medial and lateral rotation?
Rotation around a point
What is a gliding joint?
Where the articulating surfaces are flat allowing the bones to slide over each other
What is a hinge joint?
Made of bones thats articulating surfaces are covered by cartilage e.g knee and fingers
What is a pivot joint?
Allows rotary movement around an axis e.g between atlas and axis allowing neck to move
What is an ellipsoid joint?
allow back and forth and side to side movement e.g between metacarpals and phalanges
What is a saddle joint?
End of one bone is concave and the other convex e.g thumb joint that can move more freely than wrist or fingers
What is a ball and socket joint?
When the rounded surface of one bone moves within a depression of another bone
What is labial?
side towards the lips (canines and incisors)
What is buccal?
side towards the cheeks (premolars and molars)
What is lingual?
Towards the tongue (canines and incisors)
What is mesial?
Towards the front (medial line)
What is distal (teeth)?
Towards the back
What is the occlusal?
Biting surface
