BIO209: HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I LAB

The Language of Anatomy

 Anatomical position
 A standard position used in medicine
to avoid confusion, errors
 Standing erect, feet and toes facing
forward, arms at sides, palms facing
forward
 Directional Terms

 Terms that indicate direction

 Explains where one body structure is in relation to another.
 Do not ignore perspective (left vs. right)

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Directional Terms
 Superior: upper part of a structure; above
 Inferior: toward the lower part of a structure; below
 Ventral (anterior): toward or front; in front of
 Dorsal (posterior): toward or back; behind
In the anatomical position, the body is:
A. lying face up.
B. lying face down.
C. erect with feet forward, arms at side, palms
forward.
D. erect with feet parallel, arms at sides, palms
facing posteriorly.
 Directional Terms

 Medial: toward (or at) midline

 Lateral: away from midline; outer side
 Proximal: close to origin of part, or
point of attachment to a limb
 Distal: farther from origin, or point
of attachment of a limb
Directional Terms

 Superficial: toward (or at) the body’s surface

 Deep (internal): away from body’s surface; internal

• Anterior (ventral): in front of; forward; at the front

• Posterior (dorsal): backside; behind
Body Planes & Sections
 Sagittal: divides something into left & right
halves
 Transverse (cross-section): divides into
superior & inferior parts
 Frontal (coronal): divides into
anterior/posterior parts
MRI
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging
 Uses magnetic field and radio waves to create images of organs and tissues.
 Views in “sections”
 Detects brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, causes of headache, etc.
Body • Thoracic cavity
Cavities • Superior to diaphragm
• Contains heart, lungs, etc.
Body Cavities
Abdominopelvic cavity
Abdominal
 Superior cavity contains
stomach, liver, etc.
 Protected by trunk muscles
Pelvic
 Inferior cavity contains
reproductive organs, bladder,
rectum
 Protected by pelvis
Body Cavities
 Dorsal
aka Cranial cavity
 Houses brain
 Protected by skull
 Ventral
 Abdominal cavity
 Pelvic cavity
© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.
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