Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation
Gross A – Introduction: General Plan & Construction of the Body
Alvin Vibar, M.D.
ANATOMY
 The science of the structure and function of the body
 Divided into two:
 Clinical Anatomy – study of the macroscopic structure and
function of the body in relation to the practice of medicine
and other health services
 Basic Anatomy – study of minimal amount of anatomy
consistent with the understanding of the overall structures
and function of the body
ANATOMICAL TERMS RELATIVE TO POSITION
Anatomical Position:
Standing erect, with the upper limbs by the sides and the face and
palms of the hands directed forward.
Median Sagittal Plane
 A vertical plane passing through the center of the body, dividing
it into equal left and right
 Paramedian – planes situated to one or the other side of the
median plane and parallel to it, produces unequal left and right
 Medial – structure situated nearer to the median plane
 Lateral – structure that lies farther away from the median plane
Coronal Frontal Plane
 Imaginary vertical planes at right angles to the median plane, it
divides the body into anterior and posterior portions
 Anterior and Posterior – used to indicate the front and back of
the body, respectively. To describe the relation of two
structures, one is said to be anterior or posterior to the other
insofar as it is closer to the anterior or posterior surface of the
body
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Horizontal Transverse Plane
 Planes at right angles to both the median and the coronal planes,
divides the body into superior and inferior portions
 Superior and Inferior – denotes the levels relatively high or low
with reference to the upper and lower ends of the body,
respectively
Other Terms Relating to Position:
 Palmar and Dorsal surfaces – used in place of anterior and
posterior surfaces in describing the hand, respectively
 Plantar and Dorsal surfaces – used in place of the upper and
lower surfaces of the foot, respectively
 Proximal and Distal – describe the relative distances from the
roots of the limbs, nearer or farther away from the axial part of
the body
 Superficial and Deep – relative distances from the structure
from the surface of the body
 Internal and External – relative distance of a structure from the
center of an organ or cavity
 Ipsilateral and Contralateral – refers to the same side and
opposite side of the body, respectively
 Supine and Prone position – whether body is lying on the back
or lying face down, respectively
ANATOMICAL TERMS RELATIVE TO MOVEMENT
 Joint – site where to or more bones come together
 Synarthroses – immovable joints
 Amphiarthroses – slightly movable joints
 Diarthroses - freely movable joints
 Flexion – a movement that takes places in a sagittal plane,
movement towards the body
 Extension – straightening the joint and usually takes place in a
posterior direction, movement away from the body
 Lateral flexion – movement of the trunk in the coronal plane
 Abduction – movement of a limb away from the midline of the
body in the coronal plane
 Adduction – movement of a limb toward the body in the coronal
plane
In the fingers and toes, abduction is applied to the spreading of these
structures and adduction is applied to the drawing together of these
structures.
 Rotation – movement of a part of the body around its long axis
 Medial rotation – movement that results in the anterior surface
of the part facing medially
 Lateral rotation – movement that results in the anterior surface
of the body facing laterally
 Pronation of the forearm – medial rotation of the forearm in
such a manner that the palm of the hand faces posteriorly
 Supination of the forearm – lateral rotation of the forearm from
the pronated position so that the palm of the hand comes to
face anteriorly
 Circumduction – combination in sequence of the movements of
flexion, extension, abduction and adduction
 Protraction and Retraction – forward and backward movement
of the jaw at the temporomandibular joint
 Inversion and Eversion – movement of the foot so that the sole
of the foot faces medial or the lateral direction, respectively
BASIC STRUCTURES
SKIN
 Divided into two parts:
 Epidermis – superficial part, stratified epithelium
 Dermis – deep part, dense connective tissues containing
many lymphatic and blood vessels, and nerves
FASCIAE
 Divided into two parts which lie between the skin and the
underlying muscles and bones:
 Superficial fascia – or subcutaneous tissue, a mixture of
loose areolar and adipose tissue that unites the dermis of
the s kin to the underlying deep fascia
 Deep fascia – membranous layer of connective tissue that
invests the muscle and other deep structures
Retinacula – thickened portion of the deep fascia that forms
restraining bands in the region of the joints. Holds the underlying
tendons in position or to serve as pulleys around which the tendons
may move
MUCOUS MEMBRANE
 Lining of the organs or passages that communicate with the
surface of the body
 Consists essentially of a layer epithelium supported by a layer of
connective tissue, the lamina propria
 Muscularis mucosa – present in the connective tissue of smooth
muscles
 A mucus membrane may or may not secrete mucus on its
surface
SEROUS MEMBRANE
 Lines the cavities of the trunk and are reflected onto mobile
viscera lying within these cavities
 Consist of smooth layer of mesothelium supported by a thin
layer of connective tissue
 Parietal layer – serous membrane limiting the wall of the cavity
 Visceral layer – covering of the viscera
 Serous exudate – small amount of serous liquid found on slit-like
intervals: the pleural, pericardial and peritoneal cavities. It
lubricates the surfaces of the membranes and allows the two
layers to slide readily on each other

BLOOD VESSELS
 Arteries – valve-less vessels that transports blood from the heart
and distribute it to the various tissues of the body by means of
their branches
 Arterioles – smallest arteries
 Anastomoses – joining of the branches of the arteries

Anatomic end arteries – vessels whose terminal branches do not

anastomose
Functional end arteries – vessels whose terminal branches
anastomose

 Veins – vessels that transport blood back to the heart, many of

them possess valves
 Venules – smallest veins
 Tributaries – smaller veins that unite to from larger veins,
which commonly join with one other to from venous
plexuses
 Venae comitantes – pair of veins that accompanies
medium-sized arteries, usually located on both sides
 Portal vein – veins from the gastrointestinal tract that do
not go directly to heart but instead enters the liver and
form capillary-like vessels called sinusoids
 Capillaries – microscopic vessels in the form of a network Additional notes of the Gross Anatomy Transes are taken from
th
Snell’s Clinical Anatomy (By Regions) 9 Edition.
connecting the arterioles to the venules

Arteriovenous anastomoses – direct connections that occur

between the arteries and veins without the intervention of capillaries
Sesir urnebion aohoso rhaenagon issa!
“And now your watch begins”

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