General Anatomy Terminologies:
Anatomical positionsAnatomical PlanesTerms of position.
By
Dr Muhammad Altaf Hussain
Lecturer Anatomy Department
SMC ( DUHS).
Objectives
• To understand the basic terminologies used in anatomy.
• To describe the anatomical position of the body.
• To know the different anatomical planes and terms of positions.
Why Study Anatomy?
1. Communication within the health professions.
2. In order to understand the pathology of the human body, one must understand the normal.
3. Learn the interaction between body systems.
4. Define the significance between structure and function.
Why Study Anatomy?
• Provides an education rather than training.
ie: you can train a monkey to do surgery but the monkey cannot fix a problem when it arises.
• Terminology allows clear communication between medical professionals.
GROSS ANATOMY
• REGIONAL• UPPER LIMB • LOWER LIMB • THORAX• ABDOMEN• PELVIS & PERINIUM• HEAD& NECK• BRAIN & SPINAL
CORD
• SYSTEMIC• OSTEOLOGY• MYOLOGY• ARTHROLOGY• ANGIOLOGY• NEUROLOGY• SPLANCHNOLOGY
Terminologies
• Many terms provide information about a structure’s shape, size, location, or function or about the resemblance of one structure to another.
• For example: – Deltoid muscle, is triangular , like the
symbol for delta. – Suffix – oid means ‘ like’ therefore deltoid
means like delta.
• Anatomical Terminology applies logical reasons for the names of muscles and other parts of the body.
• If you learn their meanings and think about them as you read and dissect , it will be easier to remember their names.
• ANATOMICAL POSITION• The anatomical position is a
standardized method of observing or imaging the body that allows precise and consistent anatomical references.
ANATOMICAL POSITION
ANATOMICAL POSITION• In an anatomical position, the
subject stands erect facing the observer, the upper extremities are placed at the sides, the palms of the hands are turned forward, and the feet are flat on the floor .
THETHEANATOMICALANATOMICAL
POSITIONPOSITION
Anatomical positions
•SUPINE •PRONE
•COMMONLY USED POSITIONS
PLANES USED TO DESCRIBE POSITIONS
• MEDIAN / MIDSAGITTAL
• SAGITTAL / PARAMEDIAN
• CORONAL / FRONTAL
• TRANSVERSE / HORIZONTAL
• OBLIQUE
Median plane
Coronal plane
Transverse plane
Anatomical Planes
• Anatomical descriptions are based on four imaginary planes that intersect the body in anatomical position.
• These are:– Median– Sagittal – Frontal – Transverse
Median Plane
Median Plane / midline: • Vertical plane passing
longitudinally through the body , divides the body into right and left halves.
Sagittal Plane
Sagittal Plane:• Vertical planes
passing through the body parallel to the median plane.
• Plane parallel and near to the median plane is paramedian plane.
• (Medial and lateral)
Frontal ( coronal ) planes:
Frontal ( coronal ) planes:
• Vertical planes passing through the body at right angles to the median plane, divides the body into anterior ( front) and posterior (back) parts.
Transverse Planes:
Transverse Planes:• Horizontal plane
passing through the body at right angles to the median and frontal planes, dividing the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts.
Longitudinal Section:
Main use of anatomical planes is to describe sections.
• Longitudinal Section:– Runs lengthwise or
parallel to the long axis of the body.
– Median, sagittal and frontal planes are the standard longitudinal sections
Transverse sections
• Transverse sections or cross sections:– Slices of the body or its
parts that are cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body or of any of its parts.
– Transverse section of the foot lies in the frontal plane, because the long axis of the foot runs horizontally.
Oblique sections• Diagonal cross section
attained by slicing, actually or through imaging techniques, the body, in any plane that neither longitudinal (vertical) nor transverse (horizontal).
• In practice, many radiographic images and anatomical sections do not lie precisely in sagittal, frontal or transverse planes; often they are slightly oblique.
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Superior refers to a structure that is nearer the vertex, topmost point of the cranium.
• Inferior refers to a structure that is situated nearer the sole of the foot .
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Cranial relates to the cranium and is a useful directional term, meaning towards the head or cranium.
• Caudal means towards the feet or tail region, represented in humans by the coccyx ( tail bone), the small bone at the inferior end of the vertebral column
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Posterior ( dorsal) denotes the back surface of the body or nearer to the back.
• Anterior ( ventral ) denotes the front surface of the body.
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Proximal (proximus = nearest)– Near to the
attachment of a limb – where the appendage
joins the body
• Distal (to stand away from)– Farther from the
attachment of a limb.
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Medial indicates a structure nearer to the median plane of the body.
• For example, 5th digit of the hand (little finger) is medial to other digits.
• Lateral stipulates a structure is away
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Rostral is often used instead of anterior when describing parts of the brain, means towards the rostrum. In humans, it denotes nearer the anterior part of the head.
• Towards the tip of the frontal lobes.
• ( frontal lobe of the brain is rostral to the cerebellum).
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Ipsilateral (Latin ipse; self/same): on the same side as another structure
• left arm is ipsilateral to the left leg.• Contralateral (Latin contra; against): on the
opposite from another structure. • Left arm is contralateral to the right arm, or the
right leg.
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Superficial (Latin = at the surface or face): near the outer surface of the organism. Thus, skin is superficial to the muscle layer.
• Deep: further away from the surface of the organism. Thus, the muscular layer is deep to the skin, but superficial to the intestines.
SKIN
SUPERFICIAL – toward the surface
DEEP – away from the surface
Terms Of Relationship and comparison
• Visceral (Latin =internal organs, flesh): associated with organs within the body's cavities. The stomach is a viscra within the abdominal cavity, and is covered with a lining called the visceral peritoneum.
• Parietal (Latin "wall"): pertaining to the wall of a body cavity. The parietal peritoneum is the lining on the inside of the abdominal cavity.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
What is the relationship?
knee to thighNipple to belly buttonChin to eyesLittle toe to big toe
References
• KLM clinical anatomy correlation.• Gray’s human anatomy.• B.D . Chaurasia’s General anatomy.
Thank you
Example of how planes would cut the brain
BRANCHES OF ANATOMY
• CADAVERIC / GROSS / MACROSCOPIC• LIVING• MICROCOPIC / HISTOLOGY• DEVELOPMENTAL / EMBRYOLOGY• SURFACE• RADIOGRAPHIC• APPLIED
WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY
ANATOMY?•