Planes and Axis Flashcards
Who began the teaching of anatomy?
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) pioneered the teaching of anatomy by performing dissections and writing the Fabric of the Human Body in 1543, including descriptions and illustrations.
What is the anatomical position?
The anatomical position is when the body is in an upright position and the eyes looking forward, with the arms by the side and the palms facing forward. The feet are flat on the ground and the toes are directed forward.
What are anatomical planes?
Anatomical planes are fixed lines of reference along which the body is often divided or sectioned to facilitate viewing of its structures. They allowed one to obtain a three-dimensional perspective by studying the body from different views.
What is the sagittal plane?
The plane dividing the body into left and right portions.
What is the midsagittal (median) plane?
The sagittal plane dividing the body into equal left and right halves.
What is the parasagittal plane?
A sagittal plane dividing the body into unequal left and right halves.
What is the frontal plane?
The plane dividing the body into front and back portions. It is also known as the coronal plane.
What is the transverse plane?
The horizontal plane dividing the body into upper and lower portions. It is also called the horizontal plane.
What is the general rule linking the axis of rotation and planes of movement?
The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the plane of movement.
What are the 3 axes of rotation?
Longitudinal Y-axis, frontal Z-axis (medio-lateral axis) and sagittal Z-axis (anterio-posterior axis).
Where is the longitudinal Y-axis and what movement takes place?
The longitudinal Y-axis runs vertically from head to toe through the centre of the body. Rotation in the transverse plane takes place around the y-axis.
Where is the frontal X-axis?
The frontal X-axis (also known as the medio-lateral axis) runs horizontally from left to right. Rotation in the sagittal plane takes place around the x-axis (frontal medio-lateral axis).
Where is the sagittal Z-axis and what movement takes place?
The sagittal Z-axis (also known as the anterio-posterior) runs horizontally from front to back. Rotation in the frontal plane takes place around the Z-axis (sagittal).
Where do all cardinal planes and axes intersect?
The cardinal planes and axes all intersect at the centre of gravity.
What are the 4 main pairs of anatomical directional terms?
Superior and inferior, proximal and distal, anterior and posterior and lateral and medial.
