ANATOMICAL POSITIONS

GENERAL ZOOLOGY
MIDTERM REVIEWER (LECTURE AND LABORATORY)

➔ Subject stands erect facing the observer at head level. With

eyes facing forward, lower limbs parallel, and feet flat on the
Anatomical Position floor directed forward; upper limbs are at side with palms
turned forward.
➔ If the body is lying face down, it is the prone position.
➔ If the body is lying face up, it is the supine position.

The human body is divided into several major regions:

➔ Head consists of the skull and face
◆ Skull encloses the brain; the face portion includes
the eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, cheeks, and chin.
➔ Neck supports the head and attaches it to the trunk.
➔ Trunk consists of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
Regional Names ➔ Upper limbs connect to the trunk and consist of the
shoulder, armpit, arm (portion of limb; shoulder to elbow),
forearm (portion of limb; elbow to wrist), wrist, and hand.
➔ Lower limbs also attach to the trunk and consist of the
buttock, thigh (portion of limb; buttock to knee), leg (portion
of limb; knee to ankle), ankle, and foot.
➔ Groin is an area on the front surface of the body marked by
a crease on each side, where the trunk attaches to the thigh.
❖ DIRECTIONAL TERMS
➢ Words that describe the position of one body part relative to another: several directional terms are grouped in pairs that have
opposite meanings.

Superior Towards the head; upper part of a structure

Inferior Away from the head; lower part of a structure

Anterior (ventral) Nearer to or at front of the body (for humans); however, in four-legged
animals, ventral refers to the belly side and is inferior.

Posterior (dorsal) Nearer to or at the back of the body; in four-legged animals dorsal
refers to the back side and is superior.

Medial Nearer to the midline (imaginary vertical line that divides the body into
equal right and left sides)

Lateral Farther from the midline

Intermediate Between two structures

Ipsilateral On the same side of the body as another structure

Contralateral On the opposite side of the body from another structure

Proximal Nearer to the attachment of the limb to the trunk; nearer to the
origination of a structure

Distal Farther from the attachment of the limb to the trunk; farther from the
origination of a structure

Superficial (external) Toward/on the surface of the body

Deep (internal) Away from the surface of the body

 Imaginary flat surfaces that pass through the body parts:
➔ Frontal plane divides the body into dorsal and ventral portions.
➔ Parasagittal plane is a vertical cut that is off-center; separates
the left and right side of the body in unequal portions.
Planes ➔ Midsagittal plane is a vertical cut in the midline, dividing the
body into two equal left and right portions.
➔ Transverse plane divides the body into superior and inferior
portions.
➔ Oblique plane is a plane that divides the body in different
angles and not horizontally or vertically.

Sections A cut of the body or one of its organs made along one of its planes.

Spaces that enclose internal organs:

➔ Cranial cavity is formed by cranial bones and contains the
brain.
➔ Vertebral cavity is formed by the vertebral column and contains
the spinal cord and the beginnings of the spinal nerves.
➔ Thoracic cavity is the chest cavity; contains pleural cavity
(spaces between the layers of the pleura that surrounds a lung),
pericardial cavity (space between the layers of the pericardium
that surrounds the heart), and the mediastinum (central portion
Body Cavities of the thoracic cavity between the lungs; extends from sternum
to vertebral column and from the first rib to the diaphragm;
contains heart, thymus, esophagus, trachea, and several large
blood vessels).
➔ Abdominopelvic cavity is subdivided into abdominal and pelvic
cavities; the abdominal cavity contains stomach, spleen, liver,
gallbladder, small intestine, and most of the large intestine; the
serous membrane of the abdominal cavity is the peritoneum.
The pelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, portions of the
large intestine, and the internal organs of reproduction.

➔ The nine-region designation is used for anatomical studies

➔ The quadrant designation is used to locate the site of pain
tumors, or some other abnormality.
➔ Umbilical region is the centermost region, includes the
umbilicus; epigastric region is immediately superior to the
Abdominopelvic Regions and Quadrants umbilical region, overlies most of the stomach; hypogastric
 (pubic) region is immediately inferior to the umbilical region,
encompasses the pubic area; iliac regions are lateral to the
hypogastric region and overlying the superior parts of the hip
bones; lumbar regions are between the ribs and the flaring
portions of the hip bones, lateral to the umbilical cord;
hypochondriac regions are flanking the epigastric region
laterally and overlying the lower ribs.

BODY LANDMARKS - ANTERIOR

Abdominal Anterior body trunk region inferior Mammary Breast

to ribs

Antecubital Anterior surface of elbow Manus Hand

Axillary Armpit Nasal Nose

Brachial Arm Oral Mouth

Buccal Cheek Orbital Bony eye socket (orbit)

Carpal Wrist Patellar Anterior knee (kneecap) region

Cervical Neck region Pelvic Pelvis region

Coxal Hip Pubic Genital region

Deltoid Roundness of the shoulder Sternal Region of the breastbone

caused by underlying deltoid
muscle

Digital Fingers of toes Tarsal Ankle

Femoral Thigh Thoracic Chest

Fibular Side of leg Umbilical Navel

Inguinal Groin
 BODY LANDMARKS - POSTERIOR

Cephalic Head Sacral Area between the hips

Gluteal Buttocks or rump Scapular Scapula or shoulder blade area

Lumbar Area of the back between the ribs Sural Calf or posterior surface of the leg
and hip; the loin

Occipital Posterior aspect of the head or the Vertebral Area of the spinal column
base of the skull

Popliteal Back of the knee

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

➔ Frontal refers to the forehead.

Frontal ➔ The bone is the frontal bone.
➔ The muscle is the frontalis.
➔ The lobe of the brain is the frontal lobe.

➔ The bone is the occipital bone.

Occipital ➔ The muscle is the occipitalis.
➔ The lobe of the brain is the occipital lobe.

➔ The brachial nerves and vessels run through the upper arm.
Brachial ➔ All the muscles that cross the upper arm have the term brachial
in them.