Anatomical terms

• Anatomical position:

  • Body erect
  • Eyes look straight to the front
  • Upper limbs hang by sides of trunk with palm directed forward
  • Lower limbs parallel with toes pointing forward
• Supine position:

  • Lying down (recumbent) position with face directed upwards
• Prone position:

  • Lying down (recumbent) position with face directed downwards
• Lithotomy position:

  • Lying supine with buttocks at the edge of the table
• Anatomical planes:

  • Imaginary planes that pass through the body in anatomical position
  • Describe sections and images of the body
  • 4 planes:
  • Median / Median Sagittal
  • Sagittal
  • Coronal
  • Transverse
• Superior (cranial):

  • High, nearer to the head
• Inferior (caudal):

  • Low, nearer to feet
• Anterior (ventral):

  • Front
• Posterior (dorsal):

  • Back
• Medial:

  • Nearer to median plane
• Lateral:

  • Further away from median plane
• Palmar:

  • Anterior surface of the hand
• Plantar:

  • Sole of the foot
• Bilateral:

  • Paired structures, having right & left members
• Unilateral:

  • Unpaired structures
• Ipsilateral:

  • Refers to something occurring on the same side of the body as another structure
• Contralateral:

  • Refers to something occurring on the opposite side of the body relative to another structure
• Flexion:

  • Bending / Decreasing (the angle between the bones or parts of the body)
• Extension:

  • Straightening / Increasing (the angle between the bones or parts of the body)
• Adduction:

  • Moving towards the median plane
• Abduction:

  • Moving away from the median plane
• Medial rotation:

  • Brings the anterior surface of the part facing medially
• Lateral rotation:

  • Brings the anterior surface of the part facing laterally
• Circumduction:

  • The circular movement
  • The combination in sequence of flexion, extension, abduction & adduction
• Elevation:

  • Raises / moves the part superiorly
• Depression:

  • Lowers / moves the part inferiorly
• Pronation:

  • Forearm
• Supination:

  • Thumb
• Opposition:

  • Sole of the foot
• Inversion:

  • Reposition
• Eversion:

  • Inversion
• Hand:

  • Dorsal surface (dorsum)
  • Palmar surface (palm)
• Foot:

  • Dorsal surface (dorsum)
  • Plantar surface (sole)
• Origin:

  • The end of the muscle which is relatively fixed during contraction
• Insertion:

  • The end of a muscle which moves during contraction
• Belly:

  • Fleshy and contractile part
• Tendon:

  • Fibrous, non-contractile and cord-like part
• Aponeurosis:

  • Flattened tendon