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IntroductiontoHumanAnatomyTerminology St (2)

The document outlines human anatomy directional terminology, including terms such as superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior, which describe the location of body parts. It also explains the three anatomical planes: frontal, lateral, and transverse, which are used to divide the body into sections. Additionally, it describes the main body cavities, including the ventral (thoracic and abdominopelvic) and dorsal cavities, detailing their contents and boundaries.

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4 views4 pages

IntroductiontoHumanAnatomyTerminology St (2)

The document outlines human anatomy directional terminology, including terms such as superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior, which describe the location of body parts. It also explains the three anatomical planes: frontal, lateral, and transverse, which are used to divide the body into sections. Additionally, it describes the main body cavities, including the ventral (thoracic and abdominopelvic) and dorsal cavities, detailing their contents and boundaries.

Uploaded by

villalbavictoria024
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Human Anatomy Directional Terminology

Superior or cranial
toward the head; upper, top, above.

Inferior or caudal
away from the head; lower, bottom, below.

Anterior or ventral
front.

Posterior or dorsal
back.

Medial
toward the midline of the body; middle.

Lateral
away from the midline of the body; toward the side.

Proximal
toward or nearest the trunk (chest and abdomen), or the point of origin of a part.

Distal
away from or farthest from the trunk or the point of origin of a part.

Human Anatomical Planes


Medical professionals often refer to sections of the body
in terms of anatomical planes (flat surfaces). These
planes are imaginary lines - vertical or horizontal - drawn
through an upright body. The terms are used to describe
a specific body part.

Frontal Plane (Coronal Plane)


A vertical plane running from side to side; divides the
body or any of its parts into anterior (front) and posterior
(back) parts.

Lateral Plane (Sagittal Plane)


A vertical plane running from front to back; divides the
body or any of its parts into right and left sides.

Transverse Plane (Axial Plane)


A horizontal plane; divides the body or any of its parts
into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts.

Copyright © 2012 Dana Kelly

Use your understanding of human anatomy directional terminology (above) when


studying the body cavities below.

Human Anatomy Body Cavities


The cavities, or spaces, of the body
contain the internal organs, or viscera.
The two main cavities are called the
ventral and dorsal cavities. The ventral
is the larger cavity and is subdivided
into two parts (thoracic and
abdominopelvic cavities) by the
diaphragm, a dome-shaped respiratory
muscle. Find and label the diaphragm
muscle on the diagram to the right .

Thoracic cavity
The thorax, thoracic, or chest cavity
(these three terms are
interchangeable) contains the heart,
lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood
vessels, and nerves. The thoracic
cavity is bound laterally by the ribs
and the diaphragm caudally.

Abdominal and pelvic cavity


The lower part of the ventral (abdominopelvic) cavity can be further divided into two portions:
abdominal portion and pelvic portion. The abdominal cavity contains most of the
gastrointestinal tract as well as the kidneys and adrenal glands. The abdominal cavity is bound
cranially by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the pelvic cavity. The
pelvic cavity contains most of the urogenital system as well as the rectum. The pelvic cavity is
bounded cranially by the abdominal cavity, dorsally by the sacrum, and laterally by the pelvis.

Dorsal cavity
The smaller of the two main cavities is called the dorsal cavity. As its name implies, it contains
organs lying more posterior in the body. The dorsal cavity, again, can be divided into two
portions. The upper portion, or the cranial cavity, houses the brain, and the lower portion, or
vertebral canal, houses the spinal cord.

Copyright © 2012 D

Go to the next page for the crossword puzzle. Use all notes on terms, planes and
cavities for your answers .

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