Directional Terms

Front 1

Osteology

Back 1

The study of bones, their development, structure, function, and degeneration.

Front 2

Anatomical position

Back 2

Standing with feet forward
hands at side
palms forward
no long bones are crossed. (ex:arms)

Front 3

coronal plane

Back 3

divides body into front and rear anterior and posterior halves

Front 4

sagittal plane

Back 4

divides body into left and right down the middle

Front 5

transverse plane

Back 5

any plane at right angles always perpendicular

Front 6

Ventral

Back 6

front

Front 7

anterior

Back 7

front

Front 8

dorsal

Back 8

back

Front 9

posterior

Back 9

back

Front 10

cranial

Back 10

upper

Front 11

superior

Back 11

upper

Front 12

caudal of inferior

Back 12

lower

Front 13

medial

Back 13

toward mid line

Front 14

lateral

Back 14

away from midline

Front 15

proximal

Back 15

nearest the trunk or head

Front 16

distal

Back 16

farthest from the trunk or head

Front 17

axial skeleton

Back 17

bones of the trunk, including vertebrae, ribs, sternum

Front 18

cranial sutures

Back 18

fibrous joints of the skull

Front 19

appendicular skeleton

Back 19

bones of the limbs including the shoulder and pelvic girdles

Front 20

postcranial

Back 20

all bones except the cranium and mandible

Front 21

crest

Back 21

a ridge especially surmounting a bone or its border

Front 22

spine

Back 22

a sharp prominence or slender process of bone

Front 23

process

Back 23

a slender projecting point

Front 24

tuberosity

Back 24

a large rough eminence

Front 25

tubercle

Back 25

a small tubersity

Front 26

eminence

Back 26

smaller than a process

Front 27

 Tubercle

Back 27

a small
tuberosity

Front 28

Trochanters

Back 28

large processes found on the femur

Front 29

Malleolus:

Back 29

rounded protuberances of the ankles
joint

Front 30

Boss:

Back 30

smooth, rounded, broad eminence

Front 31

Groove:

Back 31

a long pit or
furrow

Front 32

Fossa

Back 32

Broad, shallow
depressed area

Front 33

Sulcus:

Back 33

a long, wide groove

Front 34

Foramen:

Back 34

an opening through a bone

Front 35

Canal:

Back 35

a tunnel like extended foramen

Front 36

superior

Back 36

toward the head

Front 37

inferior

Back 37

body parts away form the head

Front 38

lateral

Back 38

away from the midline

Front 39

proximal

Back 39

used for limb bones
nearest the axial skeleton

Front 40

external

Back 40

outer

Front 41

internal

Back 41

inside

Front 42

endocranial

Back 42

inner surface of the cranial vault

Front 43

ectofranial

Back 43

outer surface of the cranial vault

Front 44

superficial

Back 44

close to the surface

Front 45

deep

Back 45

far from the surface

Front 46

subcutaneous

Back 46

just below the skin

Front 47

mesial

Back 47

toward the midline point of the dental arch where the central incisors contact each other

Front 48

distal

Back 48

opposite of mesial

Front 49

lingual

Back 49

toward the tongue

Front 50

labial

Back 50

towards the lips

Front 51

buccal

Back 51

toward the cheeks

Front 52

interproximal

Back 52

in contact with adjacent teeth in same jaw

Front 53

occlusal

Back 53

facing the opposite of the dental arch

Front 54

incisal

Back 54

the biting or occlusal wdge of the incisors

Front 55

mesiodistal

Back 55

axis running from mesial to distal

Front 56

buccolingual and liabiolingual

Back 56

axis running from labial or buccal to lingual

Front 57

palmar

Back 57

palm side of the hand

Front 58

plantar

Back 58

sole of the foot

Front 59

dorsal

Back 59

top of the foot, or back of the hand

Front 60

Movement of body part

Back 60

accomplished by muscles acting directly via tendons on ones

Front 61

less mobile attachment point that anchors muscle is

Back 61

origin of the muscle

Front 62

the site of muscle attachment with relatively more movement than origin

Back 62

insertion

Front 63

flexion

Back 63

bending movement that decreases angle between body parts

Front 64

extension

Back 64

straightening movement that increases angle between body parts

Front 65

abduction

Back 65

movement of body part away from the sagittal plane

Front 66

adduction

Back 66

movement of body part toward sagittal plane

Front 67

circumduction

Back 67

combo of abduction and adsuction, an appendage being moved in a cone shaped path

Front 68

rotation

Back 68

motion that occurs as one body part turns on an axis

Front 69

opposition

Back 69

motion in which body parts are brought together

Front 70

pronation

Back 70

rotary motion of the forearm that returns

Front 71

supination

Back 71

rotary motion of the forearm that returns the palm to a position in which the thumb is lateral

Front 72

dorsifilexion

Back 72

flexion of the entire foot away from the ground

Front 73

plantarflexion (volarflexion)

Back 73

flexing of the entire foot inferiorly toward the ground at the ankle.

Front 74

eversion

Back 74

turning the sole of the foot inward so that it faces away from the midline of the body.

Front 75

inversion

Back 75

turning the sole of the foot inward so that it faces toward the middle of the body.

Front 76

process

Back 76

a bony prominence

Front 77

eminence

Back 77

a bony projection

Front 78

spine

Back 78

longer thinner, sharper process than an eminence

Front 79

tuberosity

Back 79

a large, roughened (roguse) eminence of variable shape; often a site of tendon or ligament attachment

Front 80

tubercle

Back 80

a small rugose eminence; often site of a tendon or ligament attachment

Front 81

trochanters

Back 81

two large, blunt, rugose processes found on the femur.

Front 82

greater trochanter

Back 82

the larger rugose processes found on the femur.

Front 83

lesser trochanter

Back 83

the small rugose processes found on the femur.

Front 84

Malleolus

Back 84

a rounded protuberance adjacent to the ankle joint.

Front 85

boss

Back 85

a smooth, round, broad eminence

Front 86

articulation

Back 86

an area where adjacent bones are in contact at a joint

Front 87

condyle

Back 87

a rounded articular process

Front 88

epicondyle

Back 88

a non articular projection adjacent to a condyle

Front 89

head

Back 89

a large, rounded, unsually articular end of a bone

Front 90

shaft or diaphysis

Back 90

the long, straight section between the ends of a long bone

Front 91

epiphysis

Back 91

usually the end portion or extremity of a long bone that is expanded for articulation.

Front 92

neck

Back 92

the section of a bone between the head and the shaft

Front 93

torus

Back 93

a bony thickening. (thick bone)

Front 94

ridge

Back 94

a linear bony elevation, often roughened

Front 95

crest

Back 95

a prominent, usually sharp and thin ridge of bone; often formed between adjacent muscles.

Front 96

line

Back 96

a raised linear surface, not as thick as a torus or sharp as a crest

Front 97

hamulus

Back 97

a hook-shaped projection

Front 98

facet

Back 98

a small articular surface, or a tooth contact

Front 99

fossa

Back 99

a depressed area; usually broad and shallow

Front 100

fovea

Back 100

a pit-like, depressed area; usually smaller than a fossa

Front 101

groove

Back 101

a long pit or furrow

Front 102

sulcus

Back 102

a long, wide groove

Front 103

fontanelle

Back 103

a space between cranial bones of an infant

Front 104

suture

Back 104

where adjacent bones of the school meet (articulate)

Front 105

foramen

Back 105

an opening through a bone, usually a passage for blood vessels aand nerves

Front 106

canal

Back 106

a tunnel-like extended foramen

Front 107

meatus

Back 107

a short canal

Front 108

sinus

Back 108

a cavity within a cranial bone

Front 109

aveolus

Back 109

a tooth socket