Anatomical Terminology Chapter 1 Anatomical Terminology

Anatomical Position The human body is standing erect with the face forward and with the upper limbs at the side with the palms forward

Relative Position Terms that are used to describe the location of one body part with respect to another body part

Relative Position Superior The part is above the other part (closer to the head)

Relative Position Inferior The part is below the other part (closer to the feet)

Relative Position Anterior (or ventral) The part is toward the front

Relative Position Posterior (or dorsal) The part is towards the back

Relative Position Medial The part is closer to the mid-line of the body than the other part

Relative Position Lateral Ipsilateral Contralateral The part is closer to the sides (away from the midline) than the other part Ipsilateral The parts are on the same side Contralateral The parts are on the opposite sides

Relative Position Proximal The part is closer to the trunk of the body or closer to a specified point of reference than the other part

Relative Position Distal The part is farther from the trunk or point of reference than the other part

Relative Position Superficial (or peripheral) The part is near the surface

Relative Position Deep The part is more internal

Body Sections Sections of body “cut” along various planes

Body Sections Sagittal Cut lengthwise so as to divide the body into right and left portions Median (midsagittal) Cut passes along the midline and divides the body into equal parts Parasaggital Cut passes lateral to the midline

Body Sections Transverse (or horizontal) Cut divides the body into superior and inferior portions

Body Sections Coronal Cut divides the body into anterior and posterior sections

Body Sections If a cylindrical organ is sectioned… Cross section Cut across the structure Oblique section Cut is angular Longitudinal section Cut is lengthwise

Body Regions Terms for division of the abdominal area: Epigastric region Upper middle portion Left and right hypochondriac regions On the left and right side of the epigastric region Umbilical region Central portion Hypogastric region Lower middle portion Left and right iliac (or inguinal) regions On the left and right side of the hypogastric region

Body Regions Terms for division of the abdominal area: Right upper quadrant Right lower quadrant Left upper quadrant Left lower quadrant

Body Regions Common Terms: Abdominal Acromial Antebrachial Antecubital Region between the thorax and pelvis Acromial Point of the shoulder Antebrachial Forearm Antecubital Space in front of the elbow Axillary Armpit

Body Regions Common Terms: Brachial Buccal Carpal Celiac Cephalic Arm Cheek Carpal Wrist Celiac Abdomen Cephalic head

Body Regions Common Terms Cervical Costal Coxal Crural Cubital Neck Ribs Coxal Hip Crural Leg Cubital Elbow

Body Regions Common Terms Digital Dorsum Femoral Frontal Genital Finger or toe Dorsum Back Femoral Thigh Frontal Forehead Genital Reproductive organs Gluteal buttocks

Body Regions Common Terms: Inguinal Lumbar Mammary Mental Nasal Depressed area of the abdominal wall near the thigh (groin) Lumbar Region of the lower back between the ribs and the pelvis Mammary Breast Mental Chin Nasal nose

Body Regions Common Terms: Occipital Oral Orbital Otic Lower posterior region of the head Oral Mouth Orbital Eye cavity Otic Ear

Body Regions Common Terms: Palmar Patellar Pectoral Pedal Pelvic Palm of the hand Patellar Front of the knee Pectoral Chest Pedal Foot Pelvic Pelvis Perineal Region between the anus and the external reproductive organs (perineum)

Body Regions Common Terms Plantar Popliteal Sacral Sternal Sural Sole of the foot Popliteal Area behind the knee Sacral Posterior region between the hipbones Sternal Middle of the thorax, anteriorly Sural Calf

Body Regions Common Terms Tarsal Umbilical Vertebral Instep of the foot Umbilical Navel Vertebral Spinal column