Systematic Anatomy Lecture 1 Flashcards
Superior
Towards the head end or upper part of the body.
The head is superior to the foot.
Inferior
Away from the headend of towards the lower part of the body.
The intestines are inferior to the liver.
Medial
Towards or at the midline of the body.
The heart is medial to the lungs.
Lateral
Away from the midline of the body.
The thumb is lateral to the pink.
Proximal
Closer to the origin of the body part or the attachment point of a limb to the body trunk.
The elbow is proximal to the wrist.
Distal
Away from the origin of the body part or the attachment point of a limb to the body trunk.
The knee is distal to the thigh.
Ipsilateral
On the same side.
The right foot and right hand are ipsilateral.
Contralateral
The right foot and left hand are contralateral.
Anterior/Ventral
Towards or at the front of the body.
The sternum is anterior to the heart.
Posterior/Dorsal
Toward or at the back of the body.
The vertebra is posterior to the heart.
Superficial
Closer to the surface of the body.
The skin is superficial to the skeletal muscle.
Deep
The lungs are deep to the skin.
What are the basic features that vertebrates share?
Humans are in the group of animals called vertebrates with cats, rats, birds, lizards, frogs and fish and share basic features.
- Tube with a tube body plan.
- Bilateral symmetry - the right half of the body is a mirror image of the left half.
- Dorsal hollow nerve cord - All vertebrate embryos have a hollow nerve cord that runs along the back of the median plane. This cord develops into the brain and spinal cord.
- Notochord and vertebrae - The notochord is a stiffening rod just deep to the spinal cord. In humans, a couple notochord forms in the embryo although it is quickly replaced with the vertebrae, the bony pieces in the vertebral column, or the backbone. Still some of the notochord persists throughout life as the cores of the discs between the vertebrae.
- Segmentation - The outer tube of the body shows evidence of segmentation. Segments are the repeating units of similar structures from the head along the full length of the trunk. In humans the ribs and the muscle between the ribs is evidence of segmentation. Also the bony vertebral column with its repeating vertebrae is also segmented.
- Pharyngeal pouches - Humans have a pharynx which is the throat region of the digestive and respiratory tube. In the embryonic stage, human pharynx have a set of outpocketing’s called pharyngeal pouches that correspond to the clefts between the fills of fish. These pouches can give a rise to structures in the head or neck. An example is the middle ear cavity which runs from the eardrum to the pharynx.
What are the two largest cavities?
The dorsal cavity and the ventral cavity. They are closed to the outside and each contain organs to protect them. (Like toy boxes holding toys)
What is the dorsal cavity?
The dorsal cavity is subdivided into the cranial cavity, which lies in the skull and encases the brain, and vertebral cavity, which runs along the vertebral column to encase the spinal cord. The hard bony walls of this cavity is what protects the organs.