Week 1 - Key Anatomical Terms and Axial Skeleton Flashcards
Axial skeleton
Cconsists of bones which lie around the body’s central axis; skull, bony thorax and vertebral column
Appendicular skeleton
Consists of bones of the upper and lower limbs
(appendages) as well as how they connect to the axial skeleton; includes the pectoral girdle and pelvic girdle
Articulation
A joint; a point of contact between 2 bones or cartilage and bone
Anterior/Ventral
At or near the front of the body / towards the ‘belly’
Posterior/Dorsal
At or near the back of the body / towards the ‘back’
Medial
Towards the midline of the body
Lateral
Away from the body
Proximal
Closer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk; nearer to thepoint of origin
Distal
Away from the attachment of a limb to the trunk; farther from the point of origin
Superior
Towards the head; or something at a higher level on the body than the point of reference
Interior
Towards the feet; or something at a lower level on the body than the point of reference
Tuberosity
A large, round projection from the surface of a bone
Trochanter
A large projection associated with femur only
Epicondyle
A projection ‘above’ the condyle and serves as a place of attachment
Crest
A noticeable “ridge” of bone
Line
A long, narrow ridge-like structure
Process
A projection or outgrowth from a bone
Spine
A sharp and usually fair-sized process from a bone
Tubercle
A rounded projection from the surface of the bone
Head
A rounded projection supported by a neck
Facet
A small, smooth, flat or shallow surface on a bone
Condyle
A rounded protuberance at the end of a bone
Ramus
A part of a bone that forms an angle with the main body of the bone
Meatus
A passageway or short canal running through a bone
Fossa
A furrow or shallow depression
Groove
A furrow on the surface of the bne
Fissure
A groove or narrow cleft-like opening
Foramen
A hole or passageway through a bone
Anatomical position
A description of any region or part of
the body in a specific stance - the body is upright, directly facing the observer, feet flat, and directed forward and the upper limbs are at the body’s sides with the palms facing forward
Supine
Body is lying face up
Prone
Body is lying face down
Directional terms
Words used to describe the position of one body relative to another
Depp
Away from the surface of the body
Superficial
Close to the surface of the body
Planes
Imaginary flat surfaces that pass through parts of the body
Sections
Cuts along a certain plane
Frontal (coronal) plane
Divides the body into front and back portions
Transverse plane
Divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions
Oblique plane
Passes through a structure or the entire body at an angle
Sagittal plane
Divides a structure of body vertically into right or left portions
Midsagittal plane
Divides a structure of body vertically into equal right or left portions
