Medical Terminology Directional/Positional Terms Flashcards
What is the anatomical position?
The anatomical position refers to the human body as erect (standing), facing forward with eyes straight ahead, arms at the sides with palms open and facing forward, and feet parallel and flat on the floor.
Which plane divides the body into front and back sections?
Frontal/Coronal plane
Which plane divides the body into left and right sides in a vertical lengthwise fashion?
Sagittal plane
Which plane divides the body into right and left equal sections?
Median/Midsagittal plane.
This imaginary line is the midline of the body
Which plane divides the body into top and bottom sections?
Transverse horizontal plane
A horizontal plane situated at right angles to the long axis, or sagittal and coronal planes; placed crosswise.
What are the three ventral cavities?
Ventral cavities contain organs on the front side of the body. They are the Thoracic, Abdominal, and Pelvic cavities.
What are the two dorsal cavities?
Dorsal cavities contain organs on the back side of the body. They are the Cranial and Spinal cavities.
What are the five vertebral divisions of the of the back/spinal column?
Cervical vertebrae (C1 - C7) Thoracic vertebrae (T1 - T12) Lumbar vertebrae (L1 - L5) Sacrum Coccyx
Medial
Pertaining to the middle; closer to the midline of a body; pertaining to the middle layer.
Lateral
Pertaining to the side; denoting a position farther from the midline (median plane) of a structure.
Distal
Remote; farther from the center of the body or point of attachment to the body; opposite of proximal. (The elbow is distal to the shoulder, but proximal to the wrist.)
Proximal
Nearest; closer to the center of the body or point of attachment to the body; opposite of distal. (The elbow is distal to the shoulder but proximal to the wrist.)
Supine
lying horizontally on the back, face up
Prone
lying face down on the abdomen
Supination
opposite of pronation. Rotating the palm forward/anteriorly. Can also refer to the outward roll of the foot during normal motion.
Pronation
Rotating the palm backwards/posteriorly. Can also refer to the inward roll of the foot during normal motion and occurs as the outer edge of the heel strikes the ground and the foot rolls inward and flattens out.
Plantar
of, relating to, or typical of the sole of the foot. the plantar aspect of the foot.
Posterior
Situated in the back; also used in reference to the back or dorsal surface of the body.
Ventral
Pertaining to the abdomen; used to denote a position that is more toward the belly/abdominal surface than some other object of reference.
Superior
Situated above, or directed upward; in official anatomic nomenclature, used in reference to the upper surface of an organ or other structure, or to a structure occupying a higher position.
Inferior
Situated below a structure or directed downward; also used to denote the lower portion of an organ or the lower of two structures.
Cranial
aka. Superior
above or upward toward the head
Caudal
aka. Inferior
Inferior
Situated below a structure or directed downward; also used to denote the lower portion of an organ or the lower of two structures.
Coronal
Division of the body into anterior and posterior sections. Also called frontal plane. Can mean pertaining to the head or the crown
Caudal
aka. Inferior
Situated below a structure or directed downward
Deep (internal)
Situated further inward, away from the surface.
Midline
the Median/Midsagittal plane
Flexion
Bending motion of joint at an angle that decreases the distance between two bones. (Bending your knee/elbow)
Extension
Bending motion of joint at an angle that increases the distance between two bones. (Straightening your arm/leg)
Hyperextension
Extending a joint beyond its normal anatomical position
Abduction
Moving arm away from the body/midline
Adduction
Moving arm towards the body/midline
Circumduction
A combination of different types of joint movements that allows a joint (like the shoulder) to move in a circular motion while still keeping the joint relatively stable.
