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