Week 1/Lecture 1 Prep: Anatomical Planes of the Human Body/Directional Terms
Parasagittal
A parasagittal plane is any plane that divides the body into left and right portions, parallel to the sagittal plane, but not directly in the midline. Thus a parasagittal plane divides the body into unequal left and right portions, but remains parallel to the median or sagittal suture.
Cross sections
A section made at right angles to the longitudinal axis
Diagonal plane
Is a section made at an angle
Axial plane is AKA
Transverse Plane A horizontal plane; divides the body or any of its parts into upper and lower parts.
Anterior or ventral
front (example, the kneecap is located on the anterior side of the leg).
Another way to say caudal
inferior
Opposite of medial
lateral
Another way to say dorsal
posterior
Another way to say cranial
superior
Proximal
toward or nearest the trunk or the point of origin of a part (example, the proximal end of the femur joins with the pelvic bone).
Superior or cranial
toward the head end of the body; upper (example, the hand is part of the superior extremity).
Oblique plane
Is a section made at an angle
Medial
toward the midline of the body (example, the middle toe is located at the medial side of the foot).
Another way to say ventral
anterior
Distal
away from or farthest from the trunk or the point or origin of a part (example, the hand is located at the distal end of the forearm).
Inferior or caudal
away from the head; lower (example, the foot is part of the inferior extremity).
Lateral
away from the midline of the body (example, the little toe is located at the lateral side of the foot).
Posterior or dorsal
back (example, the shoulder blades are located on the posterior side of the body).
Opposite of proximal
distal
Median plane is AKA
mid-sagittal plane- used to describe the saggital plane running through the midline. Bilateral symmetry.
Longitudinal section
A section made parallel to longitudinal axis
Sagittal plane
Any imaginary plane parallel to the median plane. A sagittal plane divides the body into sinister and dexter (left and right) portions.
Midsagittal plane
Divides body into equal right and left sides
Coronal plane
Divides body into front and back parts
Frontal plane
Divides body into front and back parts
Sagittal plane
Divides body into left and right areas
Parasagittal plane
Divides body into unequal right and left sides
Horizontal plane
Divides body into upper and lower parts
Transverse plane
Divides body into upper and lower parts
Coronal plane is AKA
Frontal plane A vertical plane running from side to side; divides the body or any of its parts into anterior and posterior portions.
Sagittal plane is AKA
Lateral Plane A vertical plane running from front to back; divides the body or any of its parts into right and left sides.
Median plane is
Sagittal plane through the midline of the body; divides the body or any of its parts into right and left halves.
What are the three basic different anatomical planes?
The sagittal plane (lateral or Y-Z plane) divides the body into sinister and dexter (left and right) sides. The midsagittal (median) plane is in the midline through the center of the body, and all other sagittal planes are parallel to it. The coronal plane (frontal or Y-X plane) divides the body into dorsal and ventral (back and front) portions. It also separates the anterior and posterior portions. The transverse plane (axial or X-Z plane) divides the body into superior and inferior (head and tail) portions. It is typically a horizontal plane through the center of the body and is parallel to the ground.
