Study Guide

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Anatomical Language Integumentary System Skeletal Tissue Appendicular Skeleton Axial Skeleton Joints Muscular System:
Structure Muscular System: Axial Muscles Muscular System: Appendicular Muscles Nervous System: Tissue Nervous System:
Central Nervous System Nervous System: Peripheral Nervous System Nervous System: Special Senses Cardiovascular System:
Blood Cardiovascular System: Heart Cardiovascular System: Circulation Lymphatic System Respiratory System Urinary
System Digestive System Male Reproductive System Female Reproductive System Endocrine System

ANATOMICAL LANGUAGE
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
When you have completed this chapter you should be able to:

Describe the standard anatomical position.

Know the difference between the anatomical planes.

Describe the location of a structure using direction terms.

Identify the quadrants and regions of the body.

Anatomical position
In order to avoid confusion when describing the body, it is always described in the anatomical position. In the
anatomical position, a person stands erect, legs together and arms by their sides, with their head, eyes, toes
and palms of the hands facing forward. It is important to remember that the palms face forward as their relaxed
position is generally facing inwards.

The anatomical position allows us to describe the position of structures in relation to their surroundings, e.g. ‘the
heart lies above the diaphragm’. The anatomical position avoids confusion as to whether the body is lying down
or standing up.

You should also bear in mind that when looking at a person in the anatomical position, their right side will be on
your left. The structures will always be described as they are to the subject rather than as they appear to you.

Anatomical planes and directions

Planes

There are three major anatomical planes; axial, coronal, and sagittal.

Anatomical Position Description

Axial (also know as the transverse plane) This plane cuts the body horizontally, into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.
Coronal (also known as the frontal plane) This plane cuts the body vertically, into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.
Sagittal This plane cuts the body vertically, into left and right portions.
If the body is cut in the sagittal plane, exactly along the middle of the body, it is known as the median sagittal
line/plane.

ANATOMICAL PLANES

Click here to view the thorax in the axial, coronal and sagittal planes.

Direction

Direction is used, when the body is in the anatomical position to explain the location of a structure relative to the
structures surrounding it.
Direction Description Example
Anterior (or ventral) Towards the front of the body (in front of). The sternum lies anterior to the heart.
Posterior (or dorsal) Towards the back of the body (behind). The heart lies posterior the sternum.
Superior (or cranial) Above (on top of). The heart lies superior to the diaphragm.
Inferior (or caudal) Below (underneath). The diaphragm lies inferior to the heart.
Lateral Away from the mid line of the body (towards the sides). The lungs lie lateral to the heart.
Medial Towards the mid line of the body (towards the middle). The heart lies medial to the lungs.
Deep Away from the body surface (towards the inner body). The heart is deep to the sternum.
Superficial Towards the external surface of the body. The sternum is superficial to the heart.
Proximal Nearer to the trunk of the body. The shoulder is proximal to the elbow.
Distal Furthest from the trunk of the body. The elbow is distal to the shoulder.
SELF-TEST
Complete the following questions before you go onto the next section:

Using directional terms explain where the foot is located with reference to the surrounding structures.

Is the stomach deep or superficial to the skin?

Which plane cuts the body into anterior and posterior parts?

Regions
The body is split up into two main areas, the axial and appendicular regions. The axial region refers to the head,
vertebral column and trunk, and the appendicular region refers to the pelvic girdles and the upper and lower
limbs. Each area is further divided into descriptive regions.

Axial regions Description (pertaining to)

Cephalic Head
Frontal Forehead
Facial Face
Occipital Back of the head
Orbital Eye cavity
Buccal Cheek
Thoracic Chest
Sternal Sternum
Umbilical Navel (belly button)
Inguinal Groin
Pubic Mons pubis (pubic bone)
Genital Reproductive organs
Perineal Perineum
Dorsum Back
Vertebral Spinal column
Cervical Neck
Thoracic Middle of the back
Lumbar Lower back
Sacral Sacrum
Appendicular regions Description (pertaining to)
Upper limb
Pectoral Chest
Clavicular Clavicles
Acromial Acromion of the shoulder
Scapular Scapula
Interscapular Between the two scapulae
Axillary Armpit
Brachial Arm
Antebrachial Forearm
Cubital Elbow
Carpal Wrist
Digits Fingers
Pollicis Thumb
Palmar Palm of the hand
Lower Limb
Gluteal Buttocks
Coxal Hip
Femoral Thigh
Patellar Front of the knee
Popliteal Back of the knee
Crural Leg
Tarsal Ankle
Calcaneal Heel
Pedal Foot
Plantar Sole of the foot

REGIONS OF THE BODY

SELF-TEST
Complete the following questions before you go onto the next section:

Name 8 regions used to describe the axial body.

List the regions of the upper limb and describe what they pertain to.

List the regions of the lower limb and describe what they pertain to.

Body cavities
There are two main cavities within the body, the ventral and the dorsal cavities.

The dorsal body cavity is at the back of the body and is the smaller of the two cavities. It can be further divided
into the upper and lower portions, the cranial cavity and the vertebral canal respectively.

The ventral body cavity is at the front of the body and is the larger of the two cavities. It can be further divided
into three cavities, the thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity. The thoracic and abdominal cavities
are divided by the diaphragm and the abdominal and pelvic cavities are continuous with each other.

Name Description Boundaries Contain

Dorsal Small cavity at the
cavity back of the body.
Cranial Upper portion. Bounded by the skull. Brain and meninges.
cavity
Vertebral Lower portion. Bounded by the vertebral column, intervertebral discs and Spinal cord, spinal nerve roots.
canal surrounding ligaments.
Ventral Large cavity at the
cavity front of the body.
Thoracic Large cavity above It is bound laterally by the ribs (covered by costal pleura) and Heart, lungs, trachea, oesophagus,
cavity the diaphragm. the diaphragm inferiorly (covered by diaphragmatic pleura) large blood vessels and nerves.
Abdominal Large cavity below It is bound superiorly by the diaphragm, laterally by the body Gastrointestinal tract, spleen,
cavity the diaphragm. wall, and inferiorly by the pelvic cavity. kidneys and adrenal glands.
Pelvic Small cavity below It is bounded superiorly by the abdominal cavity, posteriorly by Urinary bladder, genitals, sigmoid
cavity the brim of the the sacrum, and laterally by the pelvis colon and rectum.
pelvis.
SELF-TEST
Complete the following questions before you go onto the next section:

How are the dorsal and ventral cavities subdivided?

Describe the boundaries of the abdominal cavity.

List the contents of the thoracic cavity.

Quadrants and regions of the abdomen

The abdomen can be divided by two lines into 4 quadrants or by 4 lines into 9 regions.

The two lines that divide the abdomen into quadrants form a cross, the centre of which is positioned over the
umbilicus (belly button). These quadrants are often used to indicate the location of pain.

Quadrant Name Contains

Right upper Liver, gallbladder, right kidney, duodenum, a portion of the ascending and transverse colons and the small
quadrant intestine.
Left upper quadrant Stomach, spleen, left kidney, pancreas, a portion of the descending and transverse colons and the small
intestine.
Right lower Appendix, caecum, a potion of the ascending colon and the small intestine.
quadrant
Left lower quadrant A portion of the descending and transverse colons and the small intestine.

QUADRANTS OF THE ABDOMEN

There are two vertical lines and two horizontal lines that divide the abdomen into a grid. The vertical lines also
known as lateral lines are positioned using the middle of each clavicle as a reference. The upper horizontal line
(also known as the transpyloric or subcostal line) is positioned at the level of the pylorus of the stomach close to
the subcostal margin of the ribs. The lower horizontal line (also known as transtubercular line) is positioned at
the level of the anterior superior iliac spines of the coxal (hip) bone.

Region Name
Right hypochondriac region
Left hypochondriac region
Epigastric region
Right lateral region
Left lateral region
Umbilical region
Right inguinal region
Hypogastric (pubic) region
Left inguinal region
REGIONS OF THE ABDOMEN

SELF-TEST
Complete the following questions before you go onto the next section:

List the four quadrants of the abdomen.

List the nine regions of the abdominal cavity.

Describe where the transpyloric line is positioned.

Test your understanding of this chapter with the Interactive Quizzes and MCQs