ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY EXERCISE 1

ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this exercise, each student must be able to:

 use anatomical terms correctly

 understand the basic plan of the body
 identify the major body cavities

INSTRUCTIONS:
 Study the different anatomical planes, body regions and body cavities
 Accomplish Lab Report #1

The standard anatomical position of the human body is facing towards the observer, legs hip
width apart, feet facing forward, arms out slightly at either side with palms facing forward. The
standard anatomical position provides a “gold standard” when comparing the anatomy of
different members of the same species.

Directional terms provide precise descriptions of a structure’s location. They allow a description
of anatomical position by comparing location relative to other structures or within the rest of the
body. Standard anatomical terms for direction include:

 Superior and inferior (cranial and caudal) are used when referring to parts of the body
which are toward an end of the body. Superior structures are toward the head (cranial)
while inferior (caudal) structures are toward the feet. Examples include the superior and
inferior vena cava, which carry deoxygenated blood away from the head (superior) and
from the lower body (inferior) to the heart.
 Anterior and posterior are sometimes used in place of superior and inferior, respectively.
These words are used more often for animal anatomy and rarely and only with very
specific meaning in human anatomy. Anterior refers to the side of the structure facing up
in the standard anatomical position while posterior refers to the bottom side. For example,
the pituitary gland has an anterior and posterior side, each of which secretes different
types of hormones.
 Dorsal and ventral are sometimes used in place of anterior and posterior, respectively.
Dorsal means the back side or upper side, while ventral means the frontal or lower side.
 Lateral is used to describe anything closer to the sides of the body (toward the arms, in
the standard anatomical position), while medial is used to describe anything toward the
middle of the body. In general, many structures of the human body are bilateral and
symmetrical with the middle of the body, such as the lungs or the arms.
 Deep refers to structures closer to the interior center of the body. For example, bones in
an appendage are located deeper than the muscles. Superficial is used to describe
structures that are closer to the exterior surface of the body. For example, the outer layers
of skin are superficial to deeper layers of skin.
 Proximal and Distal describe one point relative to another. Proximal refers to a point
closer to the reference point while distal refers to a point farther away. When describing
 appendages, the proximal end of the appendage connects the appendage to the body,
while the distal end is away from the body.

What Are Body Planes?

Body planes are hypothetical geometric planes used to divide the body into sections. They are
commonly used in both human and zoological anatomy to describe the location or direction of
bodily structures. Reference planes are the standard planes used in anatomical terminology and
include:

Body Cavities

Dorsal

The dorsal cavity is a continuous cavity located on the dorsal side of the body. It houses the
organs of the upper central nervous system

Cranial

The cranial cavity is the anterior portion of the dorsal cavity consisting of the space inside the
skull.

Vertebral

The vertebral cavity is the posterior portion of the dorsal cavity and contains the structures
within the vertebral column..

Ventral

The ventral cavity, the interior space in the front of the body, contains many different organ
systems. The organs within the ventral cavity are also called viscera. The ventral cavity has
anterior and posterior portions divided by the diaphragm, a sheet of skeletal muscle found
beneath the lungs.

Thoracic

The thoracic cavity is the anterior ventral body cavity found within the rib cage in the torso.

Abdominopelvic

The abdominoplevic cavity is the posterior ventral body cavity found beneath the thoracic cavity
and diaphragm. It is generally divided into the abdominal and pelvic cavities.. The
abdominopelvic cavity is lined by a type of mesothelium called the peritoneum.
Abdominopelvic Regions

The abdomen is subdivided into four quadrants and nine areas.

References:

Body cavities labeling. (n.d.). The Biology

Corner. https://www.biologycorner.com/anatomy/intro/body_cavities_label.html

Human anatomy lab manual. (n.d.). https://openlibrary-

repo.ecampusontario.ca/jspui/bitstream/123456789/576/7/Human-Anatomy-Lab-Manual-
1535056941.html

Mapping the body | Boundless anatomy and physiology. (n.d.). Lumen Learning – Simple Book
Production. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ap/chapter/mapping-the-body/
Lab Report # 1 ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY

NAME: ___________________________________ Date: ____________

Year and Section:___________________________

A. BODY PLANES AND SECTIONS

Define the following: (2 pts. each)

1. anatomical position
2. sagittal plane
3. frontal plane / coronal plane
4. horizontal plane / transverse plane
5. cross section
6. longitudinal section
7. oblique section
B. DIRECTIONAL TERMS (2 pts each)
Use each term in a sentence.
1. lateral
2. medial
3. anterior
4. posterior
5. superior
6. inferior
7. dorsal
8. ventral
9. CAUDAL
10. cephalad
11. proximal
12. distal
13. visceral
14. parietal
15. deep
16. superficial
C. BODY CAVITIES AND REGIONS

Give two structures located in each cavity or region (2 pts each)

1. cranial cavity
2. abdominal cavity
3. thoracic cavity
ABDOMINAL REGIONS:
1. right hypochondriac
2. epigastrium
3. left hypochondriac
4. right lumbar
5. umbilical region
6. left lumbar
7. right iliac
8. hypogastrium
 9. left iliac

D. LABEL THE NAMES OF THESE BODY CAVITIES AND STRUCTURES. (17 pts)

Body cavities labeling. (n.d.). The Biology

Corner. https://www.biologycorner.com/anatomy/intro/body_cavities_label.html
E. Label the planes of the body. (3 pts)

F. Label the Regions of the Abdomen. (9 pts)

G. Label the anatomical directions designated by the lines and arrows. (9pts)

Human anatomy lab manual. (n.d.). https://openlibrary-

repo.ecampusontario.ca/jspui/bitstream/123456789/576/7/Human-Anatomy-Lab-Manual-
1535056941.html