TERMINOLOGY AND GENERAL PLAN OF THE BODY

BODY REGIONS

The human body is divided into major regions that can be identified externally.

 Head - skull & face

 Neck - supports the head & attaches it to the trunk
 Trunk - chest, abdomen, pelvis
 Upper limbs -
 Lower limbs

DIRECTIONAL TERMS

Directional terms are used to describe human body based on th relative location it assumes in an
anatomic position

in

TERM DEFINITION EXAMPLE

SUPERIOR above, or higher The heart is superior to the liver.
INFERIOR below, or lower The liver is inferior to the lungs.
ANTERIOR toward the front The chest is on the anterior side of the body.
The lumbar area is posterior to the umbilical
POSTERIOR toward the back
area.
The mammary area is on the ventral side of the
VENTRAL toward the front
body.
DORSAL toward the back The buttocks are on the dorsal side of the body.
MEDIAL toward the midline The heart is medial to the lungs.
LATERAL away from the midline The shoulders are lateral to the neck.
INTERNAL within, or interior to The brain is internal to the skull.
EXTERNAL outside, or exterior to The ribs are external to the lungs.
SUPERFICIAL toward the surface The skin is the most superficial organ.
The deep veins of the legs are surrounded by
DEEP within, or interior to
muscles.
CENTRAL the main part The brain is part of the central nervous system.
extending from the main Nerves in the arm are part of the peripheral
PERIPHERAL
part nervous system.
PROXIMAL closer to the origin The knee is proximal to the foot.
DISTAL farther from the origin The palm is distal to the elbow.
pertaining to the wall of a
PARIETAL The parietal pleura lines the chest cavity.
cavity
pertaining to the organs
VISCERAL The visceral pleura covers the lungs.
within a cavity

BODY PARTS

 ANTEBRACHIAL – forearm  NASAL –nose

 ANTECUBITAL – front of elbow  OCCIPITAL – back of head
 AXILLARY – armpit  ORBITAL – eye
 BRACHIAL – upper arm  PARIETAL – crown of head
 BUCCAL – (oral) mouth  PATELLAR –kneecap
 CARDIAC – heart  PECTORAL – chest
 CERVICAL – neck  PEDAL – foot
 CRANIAL – head  PERINEAL – pelvic floor
 CUTANEOUS – skin  PLANTAR – sole of foot
 DELTOID – shoulder  POPLITEAL – back of knee
 FEMORAL – thigh  PULMONARY – lungs
 FRONTAL – forehead  Renal – kidney
 GASTRIC – stomach  SACRAL – base of spine
 GLUTEAL – buttocks  SCAPULAR – shoulder blade
 HEPATIC – liver  STERNAL – breastbone
 ILIAC – hip  TEMPORAL – side of head
 INGUINAL –groin  UMBILICAL – navel
 LUMBAR – small of back  VOLAR – (palmar) palm
 MAMMARY – breast

PLANES AND SECTIONS

In describing the internal anatomy, the body or an organ is cut or sectioned
by a plane to make particular structures easily visible. A plane is an imaginary flat
surface separating two portions of a body or organ.
PLANES
 Frontal (coronal) — separates body
into front & back
 Sagittal — separates body into
right & left
 Midsagittal — creates equal right &
left halves
SECTION
 Transverse section— separates
body into upper & lower
 Cross-section — perpendicular to
the long axis of an organ
 Longitudinal section — along the
long axis of an organ
 Oblique section — cutting in a 1 &
7 o’clock position or 11 & 5 o’clock
position

ABDOMEN SUBDIVISION
The abdomen is a large area of the lower trunk of the body that is divided into
either:
 4 quadrants by bisecting the umbilicus (upper/lower )
 9 regions by making a tic-tac-toe line w/ umbilicus in the middle (hy, lul &
ihi)
Importance of dividing abdomen into smaller areas :
 to specifically pinpoint specific organs in the abdomen w/c are more or less
fixed in
 example: if patient experience pain in right lower quadrant or right iliac
region, then it is possibly appendicitis because the appendix is found in that
region

BODY CAVITIES & THEIR MEMBRANES

 spaces or potential spaces in the body
 3 anterior cavities: thoracic, abdominal, pelvic
 abdominal cavity + pelvic cavity = abdominopelvic cavity
 abdominopelvic cavity is continuous & not separated
 2 dorsal cavities: cranial & spinal

1. Thoracic
Serous Membranes:
 Visceral – inner layer
 Parietal – outer layer
2. In-between: Cavity
 Pleural
 Pericardial

3. Abdominal
 Visceral & Parietal peritoneum
 Peritoneal cavity
 Mesentery → Visceral & Parietal peritoneum fused together
- anchor
- pathway for nerves & blood vessels
4. Pelvic
5. Others
 Cranial
 Vertebral