Planes of Body

and
Body Cavities

1-7 Anatomical Terminology

Superficial Anatomy
Locating structures on or near the body surface

Anatomical Landmarks
Anatomical position: hands at sides, palms forward
Supine: lying down, face up
Prone: lying down, face down

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1-7 Anatomical Terminology

Superficial Anatomy
Anatomical landmarks
References to palpable structures

Anatomical regions
Abdominopelvic quadrants
Abdominopelvic regions

Anatomical directions
Reference terms based on subject
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Figure 1-7 Directional References.

Superior: Above; at a higher level (in the human body, toward the head)
Right

Superior

The head is superior to the knee.

Cranial or Cephalic
Toward the head

Left

The cranial, or cephalic, border of

the pelvis is superior to the thigh.
Proximal
Toward an
attached base
The shoulder is
proximal to the
wrist.

Lateral
Away
from the
midline

Posterior or Dorsal
Posterior: The back
surface
Dorsal: The back.
(equivalent to posterior
when referring to the
human body)
The scapula (shoulder
blade) is located

Anterior or Ventral
Anterior: The front
surface
Ventral: The belly
side. (equivalent to
anterior when
referring to the human
body)
The umbilicus (navel)
is on the
anterior (or ventral)
surface of the trunk.

posterior

Medial

to the rib cage.

Toward
the
midline
Proximal

Caudal

Distal
Away from an
attached base

Toward the tail;

(coccyx in
humans)
The hips are
caudal to the
waist.

The fingers are

distal to the
wrist.

OTHER DIRECTIONAL TERMS

Superficial
Distal

At, near, or relatively close

to the body surface
The skin is superficial to
underlying structures.
Deep
Toward the interior of the
body; farther from the surface

a Anterior view

Inferior: Below; at a lower level; toward the feet

The bone of the thigh is deep

to the surrounding skeletal
muscles.

The knee is inferior to the hip.

b Lateral view

Inferior

1-7 Anatomical Terminology

Sectional Anatomy
Planes and sections

Plane: a three-dimensional axis

Section: a slice parallel to a plane

Used to visualize internal organization and structure

Important in radiological techniques

MRI
PET
CT
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Figure 1-8 Sectional Planes.

Sagittal plane

Frontal or coronal
plane

Plane is oriented parallel to

long axis

Plane is oriented
parallel to long axis

A sagittal section separates

right and left portions. You
examine a sagittal section,
but you section sagittally.

A frontal, or coronal,
section separates
anterior and
posterior portions of
the body. Coronal
usually refers to
sections passing
through the skull.

In a midsagittal section, the

plane passes through the
midline. It separates the
body into equal right and
left sides.

Directional term:
frontally or coronally

Midsagittal plane

A parasagittal section
misses the midline. It
separates the body into
unequal right and left sides.
Directional term: sagittally

Transverse, or
horizontal, plane
Plane is oriented
perpendicular to long axis

Frontal plane
Transverse plane
(inferior view)

A transverse, or cross,
section separates
superior and inferior
portions of the body.

Directional term:
transversely or horizontally

1-8 Body Cavities

Essential Functions of Body Cavities
1.

Protect organs from accidental shocks

2.

Permit changes in size and shape of internal organs

Ventral Body Cavity (Coelom)

Divided by the diaphragm
Thoracic cavity

Abdominopelvic cavity
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1-8 Body Cavities

Serous Membranes
Line body cavities and cover organs
Consist of parietal layer and visceral layer
Parietal layer lines cavity
Visceral layer covers organ

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1-8 Body Cavities

The Thoracic Cavity
Right and left pleural cavities
Contain right and left lungs

Mediastinum
Upper portion filled with blood vessels, trachea, esophagus, and thymus
Lower portion contains pericardial cavity
The heart is located within the pericardial cavity

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Figure 1-9a Relationships among the Subdivisions of the Body Cavities of the Trunk.
POSTERIOR

ANTERIOR

Thoracic cavity
Pleural cavity
Pericardial cavity

Diaphragm

Abdominopelvic
cavity
Peritoneal cavity
Abdominal cavity

Pelvic cavity

A lateral view showing the body cavities

of the trunk. The muscular diaphragm
subdivides them into a superior thoracic
cavity and an inferior abdominopelvic
cavity. Three of the four adult true body
cavities are shown and outlined in red;
only one of the two pleural cavities can
be shown in a sagittal section.

Figure 1-9c Relationships among the Subdivisions of the Body Cavities of the Trunk.

ANTERIOR

Pericardial
cavity
Pleural cavity
Parietal pleura

Heart
Right
lung

Left
lung

Mediastinum
Spinal cord

POSTERIOR

c A transverse section through the thoracic cavity, showing the central

location of the pericardial cavity. The mediastinum and pericardial cavity
lie between the two pleural cavities. Note that this transverse or crosssectional view is oriented as though the observer were standing at the
subjects feet and looking toward the subjects head. This inferior view of
a transverse section is the standard presentation for clinical images.
Unless otherwise noted, transverse or cross-sectional views in this text
use this same orientation (see Spotlight Figure 1-10).

1-8 Body Cavities

The Abdominopelvic Cavity
Peritoneal cavity: chamber within abdominopelvic cavity
Parietal peritoneum: lines the internal body wall
Visceral peritoneum: covers the organs

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1-8 Body Cavities

The Abdominopelvic Cavity
Abdominal cavity superior portion
Diaphragm to top of pelvic bones
Contains digestive organs
Retroperitoneal space
Area posterior to peritoneum and anterior to muscular body wall
Contains pancreas, kidneys, ureters, and parts of the digestive tract

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1-8 Body Cavities

The Abdominopelvic Cavity
Pelvic cavity inferior portion
Within pelvic bones
Contains reproductive organs, rectum, and bladder

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