Lesson 1 - Anatomical Terms

Question 1

anatomical position

Answer 1

body is erect and the palms and arms face forward

Question 2

frontal section

Answer 2

division of the body into front and back sections

Question 3

midsagittal section

Answer 3

cut the body into left and right HALVES

Question 4

sagittal section

Answer 4

any cut that divides the body into left and right portions; doesn’t have to be exactly equal portions

Question 5

transverse section

Answer 5

a cut that produces upper and lower halves of a body

Question 6

anterior

Answer 6

“front of” and used to describe front surface of body

Question 7

ventral

Answer 7

front surface of body

Question 8

posterior

Answer 8

“toward the back” for dogs and humans

Question 9

dorsal

Answer 9

“back” as in a dorsal fin on a fish; synonymous with posterior

Question 10

rostral

Answer 10

toward the head

Question 11

caudal

Answer 11

toward the tail

Question 12

peripheral

Answer 12

placed away from the center of the body

Question 13

superficial

Answer 13

confined to the surface

Question 14

deep

Answer 14

closer to the central axis of the body. “deep to one another” = closer to body’s or limb’s center

Question 15

distal

Answer 15

away from midline

Question 16

medial (or mesial)

Answer 16

toward midline

Question 17

superior

Answer 17

above, farther from the ground

Question 18

inferior

Answer 18

below, closer to the ground

Question 19

prone

Answer 19

lying on belly

Question 20

supine

Answer 20

lying on back

Question 21

lateral

Answer 21

to the side; describes relationship between limbs & trunk

Question 22

proximal

Answer 22

near, or approximate; describes relationship between limbs & trunk

Question 23

axial skeleton

Answer 23

head and trunk, with spinal column being the axis

Question 24

appendicular skeleton

Answer 24

lower and upper limbs

Question 25

neuraxis

Answer 25

axis of nervous system, including spinal cord, brainstem and cerebrum

Question 26

flexion

Answer 26

bending at a joint, usually toward ventral surface; ex: sit ups

Question 27

extension

Answer 27

act of pulling two ends farther apart; ex: completion of sit up returning to extended condition

Question 28

plantar

Answer 28

sole of the foot, the flexor surface

Question 29

plantar flexion

Answer 29

rise on toes, extending foot

Question 30

plantar grasp reflex

Answer 30

stimulation of the sole of foot causes the toes of the feet to “grasp”

Question 31

inversion

Answer 31

turning the sole of foot inward

Question 32

palmar

Answer 32

palm of the hand, the ventral (flexor) surface

Question 33

pronated

Answer 33

palmar surface is directed inferiorly

Question 34

supination

Answer 34

rotating hand so the plantar surface is directed superiorly

Question 35

thorax

Answer 35

chest

Question 36

abdomen

Answer 36

front abdominal wall

Question 37

dorsal trunk

Answer 37

the back

Question 38

pelvis

Answer 38

hip bones

Question 39

cranium

Answer 39

part of the skull that houses the brain

Question 40

upper extremity

Answer 40

arm, forearm, wrist, and hand

Question 41

lower extremity

Answer 41

thigh, knee, leg, calf, ankle, and foot