Anterior or ventral – front (example, the kneecap is located on the anterior side of the leg). Posterior or dorsal – back (example, the shoulder blades are located on the posterior side of the body). Medial – toward the midline of the body (example, the middle toe is located at the medial side of the foot).
What are the 11 directional terms?
Terms in this set (11)
Superior (Cranial) toward the head end or upper part of the body.Inferior (Caudal) away from the head end or toward the lower part of the body.Anterior (Ventral) toward or at the front of the body.Posterior (Dorsal) Medial. Lateral. Intermediate. Proximal.
What is an example of a directional term?
We can also use directional terms for internal structures. For example, the lungs are lateral to the heart and the heart is medial to the lungs.
What are the 4 body positions?
The four main anatomical positions are: supine, prone, right lateral recumbent, and left lateral recumbent.
What are the 7 anatomical parts?
Anatomical regions. The human body is divided into regions. The main ones in the human body are the head, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, together with the upper and lower extremities. The upper limb is divided into shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand.
What are the 5 anatomical position?
The anatomical position is a standard point of reference commonly used in human anatomy and physiology when describing certain anatomical terms and positions. The five regions of the body are the head, neck, torso, upper extremities, and lower extremities.
What is proximal and distal?
In medicine, it refers to parts of the body further away from the center. For example, the hand is distal to the shoulder. The thumb is distal to the wrist. Distal is the opposite of proximal. Distal refers to distance, while proximal indicates proximity.
What are the 4 anatomical planes?
The anatomical planes are four imaginary flat surfaces or planes that pass through the body in the anatomical position. They are the median plane, sagittal planes, coronal (frontal) planes and horizontal (transverse) planes (figure 2). Anatomical descriptions are also based on these planes.
What are the 3 main body planes?
What are the 3 planes of motion in the body?
Sagittal Plane: Cuts the body into left and right halves. Forward and backward movements.Coronal (or Frontal Plane): Cuts the body into front and back halves. Side-to-side movements.Transverse Plane: Cuts the body into top and bottom halves. Twisting movements.
What is the directional term for distal?
Distal: Away from, farther from the origin. Proximal: Near, closer to the origin. Dorsal: Near the upper surface, toward the back.
What are the five major pairs of directional terms for naming the location of a structure of the body or a point on the body?
Key Points
Descriptions of directional terms include: a) superior (head) and inferior (caudal), b) anterior and posterior, c) lateral and medial, d) deep and superficial, e) proximal and distal, and f) dorsal and ventral.
What is the heart proximal to?
Proximal means nearer to the center (trunk of the body) or to the point of attachment to the body. If another reference point is given, such as the heart, the proximal point of another organ or extremity is the point closest to the heart, central rather than peripheral.
What is an example of proximal in anatomy?
Proximal: Toward the beginning, the nearer of two (or more) items. For example, the proximal end of the femur is part of the hip joint, and the shoulder is proximal to the elbow.
How do you remember directional terms in anatomy?
The first pair of directional terms refer to the relative position toward or away from the head. Superior (or cranial) means “toward the head end of the body” or “higher/above.” You can remember this because the head of a company is your superior at work. He or she holds a “higher” position than you do.
What is side lying position called?
In lateral or side-lying position, the patient lies on one side of the body with the top leg in front of the bottom leg and the hip and knee flexed.
Why are directional terms so important?
Why are directional terms so important? They allow us to accurately describe the position of a human body. They enable us to identify an extreme anatomical variation in a human body. They allow us to explain where one body structure is in relation to another.
