kjanatomy- ch. 1- 4 anatomical planes

Transverse plane

also called a cross-sectional plane or horizontal plane, cuts perpendicularly along the long axis of the body or organ. The body or organ is separated into both superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts, and the relationship of neighboring organs at a particular level is revealed.

Coronal plane

also called the frontal plane, is a vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) parts.

Midsagittal plane

or median plane, extends through the body or organ vertically and divides the structure into right and left halves. A plane that is parallel to the midsagittal plane, but either to the left or right of it is termed sagittal plane. A sagittal plane divides a structure into right and left portions tht may or may not be equal. So, there is only one midsagittal plane, but an infinite number of sagittal planes are possible.

Oblique plane

passes through the specimen at an angle.