Anatomy & Physiology Ch. 1D (Body Positions, Regional & Directional Terms)

Front 1

anatomical position

Back 1

subject standing erect facing observer
head level, eyes facing forward
feet flat, directed forward
arms at sides, palms turned forward

Front 2

prone position

Back 2

body lying face down

Front 3

supine position

Back 3

body lying face up

Front 4

head region

Back 4

skull (encloses and protects the brain)
and
face (front portion of the head includes eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, cheeks, and chin)

Front 5

neck region

Back 5

supports the head and attaches to the trunk

Front 6

trunk region

Back 6

chest, abdomen and pelvis

Front 7

upper limb

Back 7

attaches to the trunk - consists of shulder, armpit,
arm (portion of the limb from the shoulder to the elbow)
forearm (portion of the limb from the elbow to the wrist)
wrist and hand

Front 8

lower limb

Back 8

attaches to the trunk -
consists of the buttock, thigh(portion of the limb from the buttock to the knee)
leg (portion of the limb from the knee to the ankle)
ankle and foot

Front 9

groin

Back 9

area on the front surface of the body marked by a crease on each side, where the trunk attached to the thigh

Front 10

principal body regions

Back 10

head
neck
trunk
upper limbs
lower limbs

Front 11

directional terms

Back 11

words that describe the position of one body part relative to another (usually grouped in pairs)

Front 12

anterior
(ventral)

Back 12

front

Front 13

posterior
(dorsal)

Back 13

back

Front 14

superior
(cranial/cephalic)

Back 14

upper
toward head

Front 15

inferior
(caudal)

Back 15

lower
away from head

Front 16

medial

Back 16

nearer to the midline

Front 17

lateral

Back 17

farther from the midline

Front 18

intermediate

Back 18

between two structures

Front 19

ipsilateral

Back 19

on the same side of the body

Front 20

contralateral

Back 20

on the opposite side of the body

Front 21

proximal

Back 21

nearer to the origination of a structure or where it attaches to the trunk

Front 22

distal

Back 22

farther from the origination of a structure or where it attaches to the trunk

Front 23

superficial

Back 23

toward or on the surface

Front 24

deep

Back 24

away from the surface

Front 25

planes

Back 25

imaginary flat surfaces that pass through body parts

Front 26

section

Back 26

one flat surface or cut along a plane

Front 27

why is the plane important

Back 27

understanding the plane of a section gives knowledge as to the anatomical relationship of one part of a section to another

Front 28

sagittal plane

sagitt=arrow

Back 28

vertical plane that divides into equal right & left sides

Front 29

parasagittal plane

para=near

Back 29

vertical plane that divides into unequal right & left sides

Front 30

frontal or coronal plane

corona=crown

Back 30

vertical plane that divides into anterior & posterior portions

Front 31

transverse plane
(aka cross-sectional)

Back 31

horizontal plane horizontal plane that divides into superior & inferior portions

Front 32

oblique plane

Back 32

passes through at an angle between the transverse (upper & lower) and either a sagittal or frontal plane

Front 33

body cavities

Back 33

spaces within the body that help protect, separate and support internal organs

Front 34

cranial cavity

Back 34

formed by the cranial bones-
contains the brain

Front 35

vertebral (spinal) cavity

Back 35

formed by the vertebral column-
contains the spinal column

Front 36

meninges

Back 36

three layers of protective tissue that line the cranial & vertebral cavities

Front 37

thoracic cavity

Back 37

formed by the ribs, muscles of the chest, sternum and thoracic vertebrae-
contains the pericardial cavity, 2 pleural cavities and the mediastinum

Front 38

pericardial cavity

peri=around; cardial=heart

Back 38

a fluid filled space within the thoracic cavity that contains the heart

Front 39

pleural cavities

pleur=rib or side

Back 39

each cavity surrounds a lung and contains a small amount of fluid

Front 40

mediastinum

media=middle; stinum=partition

Back 40

central part of the thoracic cavity between the lungs;
extends from the sternum to the vertebral column and the neck to the diaphragm-
contains all thoracic organs except the lungs; the heart, esophagus, trachea, thymus and several large blood vessels

Front 41

diaphragm

Back 41

dome shaped muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity

Front 42

abdominopelvic cavity

Back 42

extends from the diaphragm to the groin, encircled by the abdominal wall and the bones & muscles of the pelvis-
it is divided into two portions

Front 43

abdominal cavity

abdomin=belly

Back 43

the superior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity-
contains the stomach, spleen, liver, gall bladder, small intestine and most of the large intestine

Front 44

pelvic cavity

pelv=basin

Back 44

inferior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, portions of the large intestine & internal organs of the reproductive system

Front 45

viscera

Back 45

the organs inside the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities

Front 46

serous membrane

Back 46

a thin, slippery double layered membrane that covers the viscera and lines the walls of the thorax & abdomen

Front 47

parietal layer

Back 47

the layer of the serous membrane that lines the walls of the cavities

Front 48

visceral layer

Back 48

the layer of the serous membrane that covers and adheres to the viscera within the cavities

Front 49

serous fluid

Back 49

fluid between the parietal & visceral layers of serous membrane;
reduces friction

Front 50

pleura

Back 50

serous membrane of the pleural cavity

Front 51

visceral pleura

Back 51

clings to the surface of the lungs

Front 52

parietal pleura

Back 52

lines the chest walls and the superior portion of the diaphragm

Front 53

pericardium

Back 53

serous membrane of the pericardial cavity

Front 54

visceral pericardium

Back 54

covers the surface of the heart

Front 55

parietal pericardium

Back 55

lines the chest wall

Front 56

peritoneum

Back 56

serous membrane of the abdominal cavity

Front 57

visceral peritoneum

Back 57

covers the abdominal viscera

Front 58

perietal peritoneum

Back 58

lines the abdominal wall and the inferior surface of the diaphragm

Front 59

retroperitontal organs

Back 59

organs located between the parietal peritoneum and the posterior abdominal walls

Front 60

abdominopelvic regions

Back 60

a method of dividing this cavity into 9 regions using two horizontal lines & two vertical lines

Front 61

4 lines dividing the abdominopelvic regions

Back 61

subcostal
transtubercular
right & left midclavicular

Front 62

abdominopelvic quadrants

Back 62

a method of dividing this cavity into four regions using vertical & horizontal lines that pass through the umbilicus