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?•