Chapter 1: Language of Anatomy
What is anatomic position?
- Human body is erect, with the feet only slightly apart, head and toes pointed forward, and arms hanging at the sides with palms facing forward. -two major divisions of human body surface are Axial, and Appendicular
2. Body orientation and direction.
~Superior- above ex. the nose is superior to the mouth
~Inferior- below ex. the abdomen is inferior to the chest
~Anterior- front ex. the face and the arms are in the anterior body surface.
~Posterior- back ex. the spine is posterior to the heart
~Medial- toward the midline ex. the heart is medial to the lungs. ex. the sternum is medial to the ribs
~Lateral- away from the midline ex. the ear is lateral to the nose
~Cephalad (cranial)- toward the head
~Caudal- toward the tail
~Dorsal- backside
~Ventral- belly side
~Proximal- nearer the trunk or attached end ex. the elbow is proximal to the fingers. ex. the knee is proximal to the toes
~Distal- farther from the trunk or point of attachment ex. the elbow is distal to the shoulder. ex. the fingers are distal to the elbow
~Superficial (external)-toward or at the body surface ex. the skin is superficial to the skeletal muscles
~Deep (internal)-away from the body surface ex. the lungs are deep to the rib cage
3. What is a plane?
-When a section is made through the body wall or organ, it is made along an imaginary surface or line. - divides body into frontal, transverse and sagittal planes
4. What are the three major planes?
~Sagittal- runs longitudinally and divides the body into right & left parts. ~Frontal- longitudinaly planes that divides body into anterior & posterior parts. ~Transverse- runs horizontally, dividing the body into superior and inferior parts.
5. What are the two large body cavities in axial portion of the body?
~Dorsal -Cranial-