INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL ANATOMY

HUMAN ANATOMY
 is the study o f the normal structures o f the human body, their functions and relationships with one
another
 the identification and description of the structures of living things
 comes from the Greek ana- meaning "up", and tome- meaning "a cutting".
o Anatomy, especially in the past, has depended heavily on dissection. In Greek and Latin the
words "anatomy" and "dissection" have virtually the same meanings. Although both words
have similar origins, anatomy has evolved to become a broad discipline of its own, while
dissection remains a technique of anatomical science
 Andreas Vesalius- “Father of Anatomy”
 This discipline is otherwise known as HUMAN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY which is the study o f the
normal structures of the living human body.
 Here, emphasis is in the transfer and application of all anatomical information from study of human
cadavers to the living human body.

DIVISIONS:
A. Gross / Macroscopic Anatomy or Gross Human Structural Biology- study o f normal structures
o f the human big enough to be studied by unaided (naked) eye.
This includes:
 Systemic Anatomy - study of structures of specific body systems e.g. nervous and circulatory
systems.
 Regional Anatomy - study o f structures by body region, e.g. head region, thoracic region.
 Surface Anatomy - study of the landmarks on the body surface of the different visceral organs.

B. Microscopic Anatomy or Microscopic Human Structural Biology- study of structures of the

human body through use o f microscope.
This includes:
 Cytology -chemical and microscopic study o f microscopic cells
 Histology - study of normal tissues in the body

C. Embryology/Developmental Anatomy
o study of the development of the human body from fertilization of ovum up to the period of
extrauterine life
o study of structural changes from conception to birth

D. Neuroanatomy or Neural Human Structural Biology- study of normal microscopes, gross

features and development of the nervous system.

METHODS OF STUDY IN ANATOMY

1. Systemic- an approach to anatomic study organized by organ systems, emphasizing
an overview of the system throughout the body
2. Regional- an approach to anatomic study based on regions, parts, or divisions of the
body (the foot or the inguinal region), emphasizing the relationships of various systemic
structures (muscles, nerves, and arteries) within that area
3. Surface
 the study of the structural relationships of the external features of the body to the
internal organs and parts
 The study of the configuration of the surface of the body, especially in relation to its
internal parts
4. Radiologic/Radiographic- the study of the structure and morphology of the tissues and
organs of the body based on their x-ray visualization and other imaging techniques.
LEVELS OF STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION O F THE BODY

1. CHEMICAL LEVEL - includes atoms, the smallest unit of matter and the molecules with two or
more atoms joining together.
Example o f atoms: C, H, O, Ca
2. Cell Level
• Cells are the basic structural and functional units of organisms, such as plants and animals
• Although cell types differ in their structure and function, they have many characteristics in
common
3. Tissue Level
• A tissue is a group of cells with similar structure and function that have similar extracellular
substances located between them
4. Organ Level
• An organ is composed of two or more tissue types that together perform one or more common
functions
5. Organ System Level
• An organ system is a group of organs classified as a unit because of a common function or set
of functions
• We have 11 major organ systems:
o Integumentary System
o Skeletal System
o Muscular System
o Lymphatic System
o Respiratory System
o Digestive System
o Nervous System
o Endocrine System
o Cardiovascular System
o Urinary System
o Reproductive System
• The coordinated activity of the organ system is necessary for normal function. Because the
organ system are so interrelated, dysfunction in the organ system can have profound effects on
other systems
6. Organism Level
• An organism is any living thing considered as a whole, whether composed of one cell, such as
bacterium, or trillions of cells, such as a human.

ANATOMICAL POSITION
 A person in the anatomical position is standing
erect (or lying supine as if erect) with the head
, eyes and toes directed forward, the upper
limbs by the sides with the palms facing
forward, and the lower limbs together with the
toes pointing forward
o All descriptions in human anatomy are
expressed in relation to the anatomical
position.
o Description of anatomical structures in
cadavers or in the living human body is
based on this position.
 ORGANIZATION OF THE BODY

A. Planes and Sections

ANATOMICAL PLANES
 imaginary flat surfaces
 Anatomical descriptions are also based on four imaginary planes (median, sagittal, coronal,
and horizontal) that pass through the body in the anatomical position.

1. Median plane - the imaginary vertical line

passing longitudinally through the body from
front to back dividing it into EQUAL right and
left halves.
o Otherwise known as “Midsagittal
plane”
2. Sagittal plane - imaginary vertical plane
passing through the body parallel to the
median plane dividing this into right and left
parts.
o Named after the sagittal suture of the skull
with which they are parallel.
o Two types:
a. Midsagittal- the sagittal plane that
passes through the median plane of
the body; otherwise known as “Median
plane”
b. Parasagittal- the sagittal plane that
divides the body into right and left
portions, but do not pass through the
median plane
3. Coronal plane or Frontal- imaginary vertical
planes passing through the body at right
angles to the median plane, dividing it into
anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.
o Named after the coronal suture of
the skull, which is a coronal plane.
4. Transverse or horizontal plane- imaginary plane passing through the body at right angles
to both the median and coronal planes dividing the body into upper and lower parts.

SECTIONS OF THE BODY

1. Longitudinal section or vertical - body part is cut on the direction of the long axis o f
the body, or any of its parts. May be cut in median, sagittal, or coronal planes
2. Transverse sections or cross section - are parts of the body which are cut at right
angles to the longitudinal axis of the body, or its parts.
3. Oblique sections- are sections of the body that are not cut in one of the anatomical
planes of the body (e.g. they slant or deviate from these planes).
B. Anatomical Directions
ANATOMICAL TERMS OF RELATIONSHIP (DIRECTIONAL TERMS)
Term Meaning Example
Superior (cranial) Toward the top of body (Nearer The neck is superior to the chest
to the head)
Inferior (caudal) Toward the bottom of the body The nose is inferior to the forehead
(Nearer to the feet)
Anterior (Ventral) Toward the front of the body The sternum is anterior to the heart
Posterior (Dorsal) Toward the back of the body The heel is posterior to the toes
Medial Toward the middle or midline of The index finger is medial to the thumb
the body
Lateral Away from the midline of the body The nipple is lateral to the breastbone
Proximal Toward the trunk or point of The elbow is proximal to the wrist
origin (describes relative
position in a limb or another
appendage)
Distal Away from the trunk or point of The knee is distal to the hip
attachment
Superficial Toward the surface of a part; The skin is superficial to the muscle
(external) away from the surface
Deep (internal) Toward the inside of a part The bone is deep to the muscle.
Parietal Toward the wall; away from The parietal pleura forms the external
internal structures wall of the pleural cavity
Visceral Toward an internal organ; away The visceral pleura of an organ, covers
from the outer wall (describes the external surface of a lung
positions inside a body cavity)
C. Body Cavities and Regions
CAVITY- refers to the hollow of a body; a fluid filled space in many animals where organs typically
develop
1. Cranial cavity- within a skull; organ: brain
2. Spinal (Vertrebral) cavity- within the vertebral column
3. Thoracic cavity- within the rib cage
 Pleural cavities- left one-third and right one-third of the thoracic cavity
 Mediastinum- middle one-third of the thoracic cavity; partition containing the heart,
the thymus, the trachea, the esophagus, and other structures
4. Abdominopelvic cavity- from the diaphragm to the bottom of the trunk
 Abdominal cavity- from the diaphragm to the rim of the pelvic bones
o Organs found: stomach, liver, most of the intestines, pancreas, spleen, kidneys
 Pelvic cavity- from the pelvic rim to the floor of the trunk
o Organs: Portions of the intestines, urinary bladder, internal reproductive organs

ABDOMINOPELVIC REGIONS
 Because the abdominopelvic cavity is so large, and contains so many organs, it is often
convenient to subdivide it into nine abdominopelvic regions.
o The regions are bounded by a grid made by imagining two horizontal planes (one just
below the ribs, the other just above the hip bones) and two sagittal planes (each just
medial to the nipple)
o This arrangement forms three –dimensional, tic-tac-toe grid in the abdominoplevic
cavity
D. Surface Regions
a. Anterior aspect
1. abdominal- area overlying the abdominal cavity
2. axillary- armpit
3. brachial- upper arm
4. buccal- cheek
5. cervical- neck
6. antebrachial (cubital)- lower arm
7. femoral- upper leg (thigh)
8. orbital- eye
9. patellar- anterior knee joint
10. pubic- lower front of trunk, between legs
11. thoracic- chest
12. tibial- anterior lower leg

b. Posterior aspect
1. calf- posterior lower leg
2. cervical- neck
3. gluteal- buttocks
4. lumbar- lower back
5. occipital-posterior of head
6. popliteal- posterior knee joint
7. scapular- shoulder blade
8. thoracic- upper back