The Language of Anatomy

Anatomical Position• Person stands erect• Feet flat on floor• Arms at sides• Palms, eyes & face facing forward

Terms referring to Direction:

• Superior Inferior

• Anterior Posterior

• Ventral Dorsal

• Cranial Caudal

• Proximal Distal

• Medial Lateral

• Superficial Deep

Superior vs Inferior•Used to identify vertical levels of position

•When a structure is above another it is referred to as superior

•When a structure is below another, it is inferior

•Example 1: the trachea is superior to the heart

•Example 2: the intestines are inferior to the diaphragm

Anterior vs Posterior•Used to identify front and back positioning

•Anterior means the front part or in front of.

•Posterior means the back part or in back of.

•Example 1: the heart is anterior to the spine

•Example 2: the spine is posterior to the heart

•Ventral is the same as Anterior

•Dorsal is the same as Posterior

These terms used for nonhumans

Cranial vs Caudal

These directional terms are typically used in describing nonhumans:

Cranial means toward the head

Caudal means toward the tail

Proximal vs Distal•Describe with respect to point of attachment

•Proximal means closer to the point of attachment

•Distal means further from the point of attachment

•Example 1: the wrist is distal to the elbow

•Example 2: the wrist is proximal to the hand

Medial vs Lateral

•Describe surface structure with respect to midline.

•Medial means closer to midline

•Lateral means further from the midline

Superficial vs Deep•Describe body organs according to closeness to the body surface.

•Superficial means closer to the body surface

•Deep means further from the body surface

•Example 1: Lungs are deep to the rib cage

•Example 2: Skin is superficial to the skeletal muscles

Anatomical Planes and Sections• Planes are imaginary flat

surfaces passing through the body – sections are anatomical views if

body is cut on a plane

• Sagittal plane divides body into right and left halves– median plane creates equal

halves

• Frontal (coronal) plane divides body into front & back portions

• Transverse (horizontal) plane divides the body into upper & lower portions

Body Sections•Sagittal section: A section resulting from a cut made parallel to the sagittal plane.•Coronal Section: A section resulting from a cut made parallel to the coronal(frontal plane).•Cross-section: A section resulting from a cut made through the transverse plane

Typical Sectional Views of the Body

Sagittal Frontal Transverse

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Regional terms are used to identify specific areas on the body.

REGIONAL TERMS(anterior view)

•Oral: pertaining to mouth

•Orbital: pertaining to the bony eye socket

•Buccal: pertaining to the cheek

•Cervical: pertaining to the neck

•Acromial: pertaining to the top of the shoulder

•Thoracic: pertaining to the chest

•Axillary: pertaining to the armpit

•Mammary: pertaining to the breast

REGIONAL TERMS(anterior view)•Brachial: pertaining to the arm(region of upper extremity between the shoulder and the elbow)

•Antebrachial:pertaining to the forearm(region of lower extremity between elbow and wrist)

•Antecubital: pertaining to front of the elbow

•Carpal: pertaining to the wrist

•Abdominal: pertaining to the anterior trunk region between the thorax and the pelvis

•Inguinal: pertaining the area where the thigh meets the body trunk

REGIONAL TERMS(anterior view)

•Femoral: pertaining to the thigh

•Pubic: pertaining to the region of the pubis(pubic bone)

•Patellar: pertaining to the anterior knee region

•Tarsal: pertaining to the ankle

•Pedal: pertaining to the foot

•Digital: pertaining to the fingers/toes

Posterior View

REGIONAL TERMS(posterior view)

•Cephalic: pertaining to the head(as a complete unit)

•Occipital: pertaining to the lower posterior surface of the head

•Deltoid: pertaining to the curve of the shoulder formed by the large deltoid muscle

•Scapular: pertaining to the scapula or shoulder blade area

•Olecranal: pertaining to the back of the elbow

REGIONAL TERMS(posterior view)

•Lumbar: pertaining to the loins(area between ribs & hips)

•Gluteal: pertaining to the buttocks

•Popliteal: pertaining to the hollow of the back of the knee

•Sural: pertaining to the back of the leg

•Calcaneal: pertaining to the heel

•Plantar: pertaining to the sole of the foot

Abdominal Subdivisionsused for anatomical studies

Abdominopelvic Quadrantsused by clinicians to locate pain, tumors, or

other abnormalities

Body CavitiesAll of the internal organs

are contained in body cavities that are completely

or partially lined with smooth membranes.

Dorsal Body Cavity

Dorsal Cavity: large cavity that is nearest to dorsal surface; includes cranial & spinal cavity

•Cranial Cavity: the hollow portion of the skull that contains the brain

•Spinal Cavity: the long tubular area within the vertebrae, which contains the spinal cord

Ventral Cavity: the cavity that’s nearest to the ventral surface. Superior & inferior portions separated by the diaphragm.

THORACIC CAVITY: lies superior to the diaphragm

•Pericardial cavity: in the thoracic cavity; contains the heart

Ventral Cavity continued…

ABDOMINOPELVIC CAVITY: lies inferior to the diaphragm

•Abdominal cavity: contains the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, and intestines

•Pelvic cavity: contains the bladder, sigmoid colon, rectum & male/female reproductive organs

Nasal Cavity: entire chamber inside the nose; nostrils are the opening to this cavity

Oral Cavity: the chamber is bordered by the cheeks, hard/soft palates of the mouth, and the tongue

Body Cavities continued…