BODY REGIONS

• Head (Cephalic)
- includes the skull
and face
• Neck (Cervical)
- found between the
head and trunk
- supports the head
and attaches it to
the trunk
• Trunk
- consists of chest,
abdomen, pelvis
and back
• UPPER LIMBS
- attached to the trunk
- shoulder, armpit,
upper arm, forearm,
wrist, hand and digits
• LOWER LIMBS
- attached to the trunk
- buttocks, thigh, leg,
ankle and foot
ANATOMICAL TERMS
• Axial
- Central part of the
body
- Head and trunk
• Cephalic
- head
• Cranial
- portion of the skull
surrounding the brain
• FACIAL
- face
• ORBITAL
- Eye
• FRONTAL
- Forehead
• NASAL
- Nose
• BUCCAL
- Cheek
• ORAL
- mouth
• OTIC
• MENTAL
• OCCIPITAL
- back of the head
• CERVICAL
- neck
• THORACIC
- chest
• STERNAL
- breast bone
• MAMMARY
- breast
• ABDOMINAL
- anterior body trunk
• UMBILICAL
- navel
• COXAL
- Hip
• PUBIC
- genital area
• DORSAL
- back
• VERTEBRAL
- area of spine
• LUMBAR
- area bet. the ribs and
and hips
• APPENDICULAR
- limbs
• AXILLARY
- armpit
• ACROMIAL
- highest point of
shoulder
• BRACHIAL
- upper arm
• ANTEBRACHIAL
- forearm
• ANTECUBITAL
- anterior surface of
elbow
• OLECRANAL
- elbow
• VOLAR
- antero-medial
aspect of the
forearm
• CARPAL
- wrist
• PALMAR
- palm
• DIGITAL
- fingers, toes
• INGUINAL
- groin
• GLUTEAL
- buttocks
• FEMORAL
- thigh
• FIBULAR/PERONEAL
- lateral side of leg
• TARSAL
- ankle
• PEDAL
- foot
• PLANTAR
- sole of the foot
• CALCANEAL
- heel
• PATELLAR
- anterior surface of
the knee
• POPLITEAL
- posterior surface of
the knee
• CRURAL
- anterior surface of
the leg
• SURAL
-posterior surface of
the leg
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
• Superior
- above, upper part of a
structure or the body
• Inferior
- below, lower part of a
structure or the body
• Anterior (ventral)
- in front or front of the
body
• Posterior (dorsal)
- behind, backside of
the body
• Medial
- on the inner side
- near the midline of
the body
• Lateral
- on the outer side
- farther from the
midline of the body
• Intermediate
- between a more medial
and a more lateral
structure
• Ipsilateral
- on the same side of
the body as another
structure
• Contralateral
- on the opposite side of
the body from another
structure
• Superficial
- near the surface of the
body
• Deep
- away from the surface
of the body; more
internal
• Proximal
- close to the point of
attachment of a limb
to the trunk; near the
origin
• Distal
- farther from the point
of attachment of a
limb to the trunk; away
from the point of
origin
midsagittal plane distal (farthest
from where
• the body part
starts)

proximal
(closest to
where body
part starts)

anterior posterior

transverse
plane

frontal
plane
BODY PLANES AND SECTIONS
Sagittal Plane

Sagittal Plane
- plane that divides an
organ or the body into
right and left halves
• Midsagittal or median
plane
- passes thru the
midline of an organ
or the body
• Parasagittal Plane
- does not pass thru
the midline
- divides the organ or
the body into
unequal halves
• Frontal or Coronal Plane
- divides an organ or
body into anterior
(front) and posterior
(back) portions
• Transverse Plane or
Cross Section/Horizontal
- divides an organ or
body into superior
(upper) and inferior
(lower) portions
• Oblique Plane
- plane that passes
through an organ or
the body at an angle
between transverse
plane and either
sagittal or frontal
plane