Language of Anatomy

• Anatomical Position

  Body is erect. Palms forward, thumbs pointed away (up).
• Directional Terms

  • Superior: Towards the head (up)
  • Inferior: Below the head (down)
  • Anterior (ventral): Towards or front of the body
  • Posterior (Dorsal): Away or back of the body
  • Medial: Middle of body
  • Lateral: away from middle (towards outside)
  • Intermediate: inbetween, think collar bone
  • Proximal: Closer to the point of attachment
  • Distal: Further from Point of attachment
  • Superficial (external): Close to the surface
  • Deep (internal): away from the surface
• Divisions of the body

  • Axial Skeleton: head, neck & trunk
  • Appendicular: Upper & lower limbs
• Sections of the Body

  • Sagittal Section: Body divided into left & right
  • Frontal Section: Divided into anterior & posterior
  • Transverse (Cross) Section: Divided into Superior & Inferior
• Cavities and regions

  
• Cavities


  Spaces that are within the body
• Types of cavities


  • Dorsal cavities
  • Ventral cavities
• Dorsal cavities


  • Has 2 parts: Cranial cavity, Vertebral cavity (Spinal cord)
• Ventral cavities


  • Has 2 parts: Thoracic cavity, Abdominopelvic cavity
• Thoracic cavity


  • Contains pleural cavity (lungs), Mediastinum
• Abdominopelvic cavity


  • Contains peritoneal cavity (intestines), Pelvic cavity (bladder)
• The body is divided into 2 main cavities: dorsal and ventral
• The dorsal cavity has 2 parts: cranial cavity and vertebral cavity
• The ventral cavity has 2 parts: thoracic cavity and abdominopelvic cavity
• The thoracic cavity contains the pleural cavity (lungs) and the mediastinum
• The abdominopelvic cavity contains the peritoneal cavity (intestines) and the pelvic cavity (bladder)
• The abdominopelvic region is divided into 9 regions: epigastric, hypochondriac, umbilical, lumbar, hypogastric, iliac
• 4 Quadrants


  • Right upper quadrant
  • Left upper quadrant
  • Right lower quadrant
  • Left lower quadrant
• Membranes


  • No friction
• Serous membrane


  Secrets fluid into the membranes
• Types of serous membranes

  • Parietal serosa
  • Visceral serosa
• Parietal serosa


  • Parietal pericardium
  • Parietal peritoneum
  • Parietal pleura
• Visceral serosa


  • Visceral pericardium
  • Visceral peritoneum
  • Visceral pleura
• Cranial cavities


  • Oral
  • Nasal
  • Orbital
  • Middle ear
  • Cranial
• Synovial cavity


  Between 2 bones (e.g. neck vertebrae)
• Acromial


  Part of Shoulder
• Antecubital


  Front of elbow
• Hallux


  Great toe
• Patellar


  Anterior knee
• Posterior


  Back of the body
• Occipital


  Back of the head, base of skull
• Acromial


  Point of the shoulder
• Vertebral


  Spinal column
• Scapular


  Shoulder blade
• Olecranal


  Back of the elbow
• Sacral


  Between the hips
• Popliteal


  Back of the knee