Planes / Directional Terms Flashcards
WEEK 1
Plane
a surface, real or imaginary, along which any two points can be connected by a straight line.
Median Plane
divides the body symmetrically into “right” and “left” halves.
Sagittal Plane
a plane through the body parallel to the median plane that divides the body into “right” and “left” sides.
Transverse Plane
a plane that runs across the body at right angles to its long axis and forms “front” (cranial) and “back” (caudal) parts.
Dorsal Plane
runs at right angles to the median and transverse planes and divides the body into “upper” (dorsal) and “lower” (ventral) segments.
Thoracic Cavity
the thorax is the cranial portion between the neck and the abdomen (“chest.”) **contains the heart and lungs
Abdominal Cavity
cranial boundary is the diaphragm, it contains various organs including the liver, stomach, intestines and bladder.
Internal/Deep
close to or toward the center of an organ or extremity.
External/Superficial
away from the center of an organ or extremity
and/or toward the surface.
Proximal
relatively near to the main mass or origin and it refers to appendages/limbs.
Distal
relatively distant from the main mass or origin and it refers to appendages.
Medial
close to or toward the median plane.
Lateral
away from the median plane, toward the sides of the animal or limb.
Dorsal
toward or beyond the backbone (vertebral column).
Ventral
away from the “backbone” and towards the underside/belly of the animal.
