Directional Terms, Body Planes, Body Cavities

Dorsal

"Back side"

Ventral

"Belly side"

Lateral

-Away from the midline of the body

Deep

-Buried -Below the surface, or below other tissues or layers

Oblique plane

-Diagonal "cuts" -Can move through more than one of the other planes, due to tilt angle

Distal

-Farther away from the point of attachment -Moving down a limb away from the body -distant

Inferior

-Located away from the head -Toward the feet

Posterior

-Located on the back side

Anterior

-Located on the front -Located on the belly side

Superior

-Located toward the head -located upward

Proximal

-Nearer to the point of attachment -Moving up a limb to the core of the body -In close proximity

Superficial

-On the surface, or just below the surface

Medial

-Toward the midline of the body

Abdominal Cavity

Abdomen area: Contains stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver, and other organs

Why do we use anatomical position?

Because it creates a standard point of reference when talking about the body, and because it shows all of the bones clearly.

Thoracic Cavity

Chest area: contains heart and lungs

Frontal (Coronal) section

Front/Back

Cranial cavity

Head area: contains the brain

Transverse

Horizontal plane that cuts the body in two parts creating a TOP and a BOTTOM half. Means "*across.*"

Directional Terms in Anatomy

How to refer to location on and around the body

Sagital section

Left/Right

Pelvic Cavity

Lower torso area: Contains urinary bladder, reproductive organs, and rectum

Deep

On the inside; below other tissues; toward the core of the body

Superficial

On the outside; toward the outside edge

Vertebral Cavity (Spinal Cavity)

Spine area: runs within the bony vertebral column, encloses the delicate spinal cord

Anatomical Position

The basic reference position used for all directional terms in Anatomy. Feet forward, face forward, arms at sides palms rotated forward.

Transverse section

Top/Bottom

Frontal/Coronal

Vertical plane that cuts the body in two parts creating a FRONT and a BACK half. Means "*crown*."

Sagittal

Vertical plane that cuts the body in two parts creating a RIGHT and a LEFT half. Means "*arrow*."

Prone

lying face down

Supine

lying face up