Gross Anatomy
1.01 Introduction to Gross Anatomy
Flordeliza M. De Jesus, M.D | Week 1 Trans
OUTLINE
I. Different Approaches in the Study of Anatomy
A. Regional/Topographical Anatomy
a. Surface Anatomy
b. Radiographic and Sectional Imaging
Anatomy
c. Endoscopic Techniques
d. Prosections
e. Dissection
B. Systemic Anatomy
C. Clinical/Applied Anatomy
II. Anatomical Position
III. Anatomical Planes
IV. Anatomical Terms of Laterality
V. Anatomical Terms of Relationship and Comparison
VI. Anatomical Terms Related to Movement
VII. References
Anatomy – the science of the structure and function of
the body
Gross Anatomy – study of large, easily observable
structures of the human body
Microscopic Anatomy – the examination of structures
of human body with the aid of the microscope
I. DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN THE STUDY OF
ANATOMY
A. Regional/Topographical Anatomy
- considers the organization of the human body as
major parts or segments
o Surface Anatomy – under regional anatomy; the
observation of what lies under the skin and what
structures are palpable so that structures can be
shaped into distinct visual images; physical
examination is the clinical application of surface
anatomy
Methods of Physical Examination
 Inspection – observation for physical signs by
sight; least mechanical and the hardest to learn
but yields the most physical signs; can be
general or regional; For fruitful inspection: good
lighting, adequate exposure of area to be
examined, and comparison of left and right sides
 Palpation – by feeling/sense of touch; confirms
inspection findings; palmar surface of fingers for
fine tactile discrimination such as consistency,
texture, tenderness, and crepitation; dorsal
DMED1 | Transcribed by: Gross Anatomy Team
aspect of hands or fingers for temperature;
palmar base of fingers for vibrations
 Percussion – body is struck to produce sounds
of varying quality
Mediate/indirect - involves a pleximeter
finger of the non-dominant hand and the
plexor of the dominant hand
Immediate/direct - when an area of the
body is struck directly with one or more fingers
of a hand (e.g. Hoover’s damped percussion)
 Auscultation – using a stethoscope to listen to
bodily sounds
Flatness – thigh/forehead
Tympany – abdomen; air-filled stomach
Dullness – liver
Resonance – normal lung
Hyperresonance – pneumothorax
o Radiographic and Sectional Imaging Anatomy –
under regional anatomy; utilizes plain radiography
(Xray), computed tomography (CT), magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI), etc. in studying the body
o Endoscopic techniques – demonstrate the living
anatomy by using flexible fiber-optic devices inserted
into one of the body’s orifices or through a small
surgical incision (“portal”) to examine internal
structures, such as the interior of the stomach
o Prosections – demonstrate anatomical structures
through carefully prepared dissections
o Dissection – learning-by-doing is the method of
studying the structures of the body by observing,
palpating, moving, and sequentially revealing parts of
the body; the experience of firsthand dissection
provides the most efficient learning and highest
retention when combined with didactic studying
B. Systemic Anatomy
– the study of the body’s organ systems that work
together to carry out complex functions
o Integumentary system (dermatology) – consists of
the skin and its appendages—hairs, nails, and sweat
glands, for example—and the subcutaneous tissue just
beneath it
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 Gross Anatomy
1.01 Introduction to Gross Anatomy
Flordeliza M. De Jesus, M.D | Week 1 Trans

o Skeletal system (osteology) – consists of bones and
cartilage; it provides our basic shape and support for
the body and is what the muscular system acts on to
produce movement; it also protects vital organs such
as the heart, lungs, and pelvic organs
o Articular system (arthrology) – consists of joints and
their associated ligaments, connecting the bony parts
of the skeletal system and providing the sites at which
movements occur
o Muscular system (myology) – consists of skeletal
muscles that act (contract) to move or position parts of
the body, or smooth and cardiac muscle that propels,
expels, or controls the flow of fluids and contained
substance
o Nervous system (neurology) – consists of the CNS
(central nervous system) which involves the brain and
spinal cord and the PNS (peripheral nervous system
which involves nerves and ganglia, together with their
motor and sensory endings; controls and coordinates
the functions of the organ systems; the sense organs
including the olfactory organ, ophthalmology, otology,
and gustatory organ, are often considered with the
nervous system in systemic anatomy
o Circulatory system (angiology) – consists of the
cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, which function
in parallel to transport the body’s fluids
flow of air through the system, which may also
produce tone in the larynx that is further modified by
the tongue, teeth, and lips into speech
o Urinary system (urology) – consists of the kidneys,
ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, which filter blood
and subsequently produce, transport, store and
intermittently excrete urine
o Genital/Reproductive system (gynecology for
females; andrology for males) – consists of the gonads
(ovaries and testes) that produce oocytes (eggs) and
sperms, the ducts that transport them, and the
genitalia that enable their union.
o Endocrine system (endocrinology) – consists of the
specialized structures that secrete hormones,
including discrete ductless endocrine glands (such as
the thyroid gland), isolated and clustered cells of the
gut and blood vessel walls, and specialized nerve
endings. Hormones are organic molecules are carried
by the circulatory system to distant effector cells in all
parts of the body.
C. Clinical/Applied Anatomy
- study of the macroscopic structure and function of
the body in relation to the practice of medicine and
other health services

 Cardiovascular system (cardiology) – consists of II. ANATOMICAL POSITION

the heart and blood vessels that propel and
conduct blood through the body, delivering
oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells and
removing their waste products
It refers to the body position as if the person were standing erect with
the:
 Head, gaze, and toes directed anteriorly
 Arms adjacent to the sides with the palms facing anteriorly
 Lower limbs close together with the feet parallel

 Lymphatic system – a network of lymphatic

vessels that withdraws excess tissue fluid (lymph)
from the body’s interstitial (intercellular) fluid
compartment, filters it through lymph nodes, and
returns it to the bloodstream

o Alimentary/Digestive system (gastroenterology) –

consists of the digestive tract from the mouth to the
anus, with all its associated organs and glands that
function in ingestion, mastication, deglutition,
digestion, and absorption of food and the elimination of
feces

o Respiratory system (pulmonology) – consists of the

air passages and lungs that supply oxygen to the
blood for cellular respiration and eliminate carbon
dioxide from it. The diaphragm and larynx control the

DMED1 | Transcribed by: Gross Anatomy Team 2

 Gross Anatomy
1.01 Introduction to Gross Anatomy
Flordeliza M. De Jesus, M.D | Week 1 Trans
III. ANATOMICAL PLANES (imaginary)
 Median/Midsagittal plane – a vertical plane passing
through the center of the body, diving it into equal right
land left halves
 Paramedian/Sagittal planes – any plane parallel to
the median plane that divides the body into unequal
right and left portions
 Frontal/Coronal planes – vertical planes at right
angles to the median plane passing through the body,
diving the body into anterior and posterior parts
 Transverse/Horizontal plane – at right angles to both
the median and coronal planes; divides the body into
superior and inferior parts
Since the number of sagittal, frontal, and horizontal
planes is unlimited, a reference point (usually a visible or
palpable landmark or vertebral level) is necessary to
identify the location or level of the plane. (e.g. transverse
plane through the umbilicus).
DMED1 | Transcribed by: Gross Anatomy Team
III. SECTIONING OF ANATOMICAL PLANES
 Longitudinal sections – run parallel to the long axis
of the body or of any of its parts regardless of the
position of the body. There is a 180° range of possible
longitudinal sections.
 Transverse/Cross sections – slices of the body or its
parts that are cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis
of the body. Because the long axis of the foot runs
horizontally, a transverse section of the foot lies in the
frontal plane.
 Oblique sections – slices of the body or any of its
parts that are not cut along the previously listed
anatomical planes.
IV. ANATOMICAL TERMS OF LATERALITY
 Unilateral – structures present on one side only (e.g.
the spleen)
 Bilateral – paired structures having right and left
members (e.g. the kidneys)
 Ipsilateral – something occurring on the same side of
the body as another structure (e.g. the right thumb and
the right big toe)
 Contralateral – occurring on the opposite side of the
body relative to another structure (e.g. the right hand is
contralateral to the left hand)
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 Gross Anatomy
1.01 Introduction to Gross Anatomy
Flordeliza M. De Jesus, M.D | Week 1 Trans

V. ANATOMICAL TERMS OF RELATIONSHIP

AND COMPARISON

Rostral – often used instead of anterior when

describing parts of the brain; towards the
anterior part of the head (e.g. the frontal lobe of
the brain is rostral to the cerebellum)
Anterior (ventral) – front of the body
Posterior (dorsal) – back of the body
Palmar surface of hand – anterior surface of
hand (palm)
Dorsal surface of hand – posterior surface of
hand
Plantar surface of foot – sole of the foot (plant
your feet on the ground)
Dorsal surface of foot – upper/top surface of
foot
Medial – when a structure is situated nearer to
the median plan of the body
Lateral – when a structure lies farther away
from the median plane
Superior – refers to a structure that is nearer
the vertex, the topmost point of the cranium
Cranial – relates to the cranium; towards the
head or cranium
Inferior – refers to a structure that is situated
nearer the sole of the foot
Caudal – toward the feet or tail region (coccyx)
Proximal – closer to the core, root, or attached
end of a reference point (e.g. in the upper limb,
the shoulder is proximal to the elbow)
Distal – further away from the core (e.g. in the
upper limb, the hand is distal to the elbow)
Superficial – closer to the surface (e.g. the skin
is superficial to the ribs)
Intermediate – in between of two
surfaces/structures (e.g. the ribs are
intermediate the skin and heart)
Deep – farther away from the surface (e.g. the
heart is deep to the ribs)
Internal – inside the structure
External – outside the structure
Supine position of the body – lying on the back
(higa)
Prone position of the body – laying face
downward (dapa)
Afferent – flow toward a reference point (e.g.
venous blood flow is afferent to the heart)
(gorA)
Efferent – flow away from a reference point
(e.g. arterial blood is efferent to the heart) (byE)

DMED1 | Transcribed by: Gross Anatomy Team 4

 Gross Anatomy
1.01 Introduction to Gross Anatomy
Flordeliza M. De Jesus, M.D | Week 1 Trans

VI. ANATOMICAL TERMS RELATED TO MOVEMENT Abduction of digits (fingers/toes) – spreading them apart
Adduction of digits – bring the spread fingers or toes
Flexion – bending or decreasing the angle between the together towards neutral position
bones or parts of the body.
Extension – straightening or increasing the angle
between the bones or parts of the body; usually occurs in
a posterior direction.
*Exception: the knee joint flexes posteriorly and extends
anteriorly
Hyperextension – overextension; extension of a limb or
part beyond the normal limit; can cause injury such as
“whiplash”

Abduction of limbs – moving away from the median

plane (e.g. when upper limb moves laterally away from
the side of the body)
Adduction of limbs – moving toward the center of the
Pronation – rotation of the radius medially so that the body
palm of the hand faces posteriorly and its dorsum faces Circumduction – circular movement that involves
anteriorly sequential flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction
Supination – opposite rotation movement; rotating the (or in the opposite order) in such a way that the distal end
radius laterally and uncrossing it from the ulna, returning of the part moves in a circle
the pronated forearm/hand to the anatomical position
Opposition – he movement by which the pad of the 1st
digit (thumb) is brought to another digit pad such as in
pinching
Reposition – movement of the 1st digit from the position
of opposition back to its anatomical position

DMED1 | Transcribed by: Gross Anatomy Team 5

 Gross Anatomy
1.01 Introduction to Gross Anatomy
Flordeliza M. De Jesus, M.D | Week 1 Trans

Dorsiflexion – flexion at the ankle joint (e.g. lifting the Elevation – raising
front part of the food off the ground) or moving a part
Plantarflexion – bends the foot toward the ground (e.g. superiorly (e.g.
tiptoeing) shrugging the
Eversion – moves the sole of the foot away from the shoulders, the
median plane, turning the sole laterally = dorsiflexed foot upper eyelid when
Inversion – moves the sole of the foot toward the opening the eye)
median plane; the sole of the foot faces medially =
plantarflexed foot Depression –
lowering or moving
a part inferiorly
(e.g. the upper
eyelid when closing
the eye, relaxing
the shoulders)

Protrusion – movement
Right and left lateral flexion – lateral bending; special anteriorly as in protruding
forms of abduction for only the neck and trunk the mandible, lips, or
Rotation – turning or revolving a part of the body around tongue
its longitudinal axis, such as turning one’s head to face Retrusion – movement
sideways posteriorly as in retruding
Medial rotation – internal rotation; brings the anterior the mandible, lips, or
surface of a limb closer to the median plane tongue
Lateral rotation – external rotation; takes the anterior
surface away from the midline plane
Protraction – anterolateral movement of the scapula on
the thoracic wall
Retraction – posteromedial movement of the scapula on
the thoracic wall

VII. REFERENCES
 Snell’s Clinical Anatomy by Regions
 Moore’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy
 CEU-SOM’s Learning Objectives in Gross Anatomy

DMED1 | Transcribed by: Gross Anatomy Team 6