Human Anatomy
Anatomical Positions/ Terminology
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Anatomical Terminology• Anatomical terminology from ancient Greek and Latin
• Most terms come in pairs
• Terms of position and direction describe the position of one body part relative to another, usually along one of the three major body planes
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Anatomical Position Is the standard reference
point in which all positions, movements, and planes are described
Person stands erect with feet together and eyes forward with palms and feet facing forward
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Regional terms – names of specific body areas Axial region – the
main axis of the body
Appendicular region – the limbs
Directional terminology Refers to the body
in anatomical position
Standardized terms of directions are paired terms
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Directional Terms• Superior (cranial)- the
part more toward the top of the body– The shoulder is superior
to the hip• Inferior (caudal)- the part
is more toward the bottom of the body– The stomach is inferior to
the heartSu
perio
rIn
ferio
r
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Directional Terms• Anterior (ventral)-
toward the front of the body– The nose is anterior of the
head• Posterior (dorsal)- the
part is more toward the bottom of the body– The heel is posterior to the
toesAnterior Posterior
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Directional Terms• Medial- Toward the
midline or midsagittal plane of the body– The eyes are medial to the
ears• Lateral- Toward the sides;
away from the middle– The eyes are lateral to the
nose.
Lateral
Medial
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Directional Terms• Proximal- Toward trunk
of the body; toward the root of the body– The knee is proximal to
the ankle• Distal- Away from the
trunk; away from the root of the body– The hand is distal to the
elbow
Proximal
Distal
Proximal
Distal
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Distal / Proximal Cont.
• When you divide the skeleton into Axial (Blue) and Appendicular (Yellow) you can better understand the extremities and their roots.
• Proximal- toward the axial skeleton
• Distal- Away from the axial skeleton
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Directional Terms• Superficial- toward the body surface
– The skin is superficial to the muscles
• Deep- Away from the body surface– The lungs are deep to the skin
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Directional Terms• Bilateral symmetry: a term
meaning that right and left sides of the body are mirror images
• Ipsilateral-structures are on the same side of the body in anatomical position
• Contralateral-structures are on opposite sides of the body in anatomical position
Contra lateral
Ipsilateral
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Orientation and Directional Terms
Image from: Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc,. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Orientation and Directional Terms
Image from: Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc,. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Orientation and Directional Terms
Body Language:
Anterior is my smile, posterior my butt;
I raise my head to be superior and look down in shame when inferior;
When angry my arms point medial, and support my shout when lateral;
When I hug you, I pull you proximal, but with a kick quickly push you distal;
Example Problems
• The chin is ________ to the forehead.• The ears are _________ to the nose• The elbow is on the _________side of the arm• The knee is _______ to the hip bone.• The shoulder is _________ to the elbow.• The nose are ___________ to the lips.
Inferior
lateral
posteriordistal
proximalsuperior
Example Problems
• The shoulder girdle is _________ to the hip girdle.
• The knee is _______________ to the ankle• The neck is ___________ to the sternum• The heart is ____________ to the lungs• The fingers are ________ to the palm.
superior
Superior/ proximal
medial
distal
superior
Regional Terms
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Body Planes and Sections
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Body Planes and Sections• Coronal (frontal) plane - Lies
vertically and divides body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) parts
• Sagittal plane – lies vertically and divides the body into left and right sides.– Median (midsagittal) plane -
Specific sagittal plane that lies vertically in the midline
• Transverse plane - runs horizontally and divides body into superior (up) and inferior (down) parts
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Body Cavities• Dorsal body cavity• Cavity subdivided
into the cranial cavity and the vertebral cavity.– Cranial cavity
houses the brain.– Vertebral cavity runs
through the vertebral column and encloses the spinal cord
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Body Cavities• Ventral body cavity
– subdivided into: – Thoracic cavity –
divided into three parts
• Two lateral parts each containing a lung surrounded by a pleural cavity
• Mediastinum – contains the heart surrounded by the pericardial sac
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Body Cavities• Ventral body cavity
– Abdominopelvic cavity – divided into two parts
• Abdominal cavity – contains the liver, stomach, kidneys, and other organs
• Pelvic cavity – contains the bladder, some reproductive organs, and rectum
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Other Body Cavities• Oral cavity• Nasal cavity• Orbital cavities• Middle ear cavities• Synovial cavities
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Abdominal Regions and Quadrants• Abdominal regions divide the abdomen into nine
regions
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Abdominal Quadrants• Abdominal quadrants divide the abdomen into four
quadrants – Right upper and left upper quadrants– Right lower and left lower quadrants
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Other Positions