Distal - ✔️✔️Farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb
to the body trunk
Frontal/Coronal Plane - ✔️✔️Divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior)
sections
Sagittal Plane - ✔️✔️Divides the body into left and right halves
Transverse/Horizontal Plane - ✔️✔️Divides the body into upper (superior) and lower
(inferior) halves
Superior (cranial) - ✔️✔️Towards the head end or upper part of a structure or body;
above
ex: The head is superior to the abdomen
What is the Anatomical Position? - ✔️✔️Standing up straight, looking ahead, with the
palms facing forward
Inferior (caudal) - ✔️✔️Away from the head end or toward the lower end of a structure
or the body; below
ex: The navel is inferior to the chin
Ventral (anterior) - ✔️✔️Toward or at the front of the body; in front of
ex: The breastbone is ventral(anterior) to the spine
Dorsal (posterior) - ✔️✔️Toward or at the back of the body; behind
ex: The heart is dorsal(posterior) to the breastbone
Medial - ✔️✔️Toward or at the midline of the body; on the inner side of
ex: The heart is medial to the arm
Lateral - ✔️✔️Away from the midline of the body; on the outer side of
ex: The arms are lateral to the chest
Intermediate - ✔️✔️Between and more medial and a more lateral structure
, ex: The collar bone is intermediate to the breastbone and shoulder
Proximal - ✔️✔️Closer to the origin of the body part of the point of attachment of a limb
to the body trunk
ex: the elbow is proximal to the wrist
ex: the knee is distal to the thigh
Superficial (external) - ✔️✔️Toward or at the body surface
ex: the skin is superficial to the skeletal muscles
Deep (internal) - ✔️✔️Away from the body surface; more internal
ex: the lungs are deep to the skin
What are the two body cavities? - ✔️✔️Dorsal Cavity and Ventral Cavity
Dorsal Cavity - ✔️✔️Houses and protects the brain and spinal cord
Ventral Cavity - ✔️✔️Houses and protects the internal organs (heart, lungs, stomach)
Cranial Cavity - ✔️✔️contains the brain
Vertebral Cavity - ✔️✔️Contains the spinal cord
What are the subdivisions of the Ventral Cavity? - ✔️✔️The thoracic cavity and
abdominopelvic cavity
Thoracic Cavity - ✔️✔️Contains the superior mediastinum, pleural cavity, and the
pericardial cavity within the mediastinum
Abdominopelvic cavity - ✔️✔️Contains the digestive visera, and the urinary bladder,
reproductive organs and rectum
Where are the serous membranes located? - ✔️✔️In the organs of the ventral cavity
Serous Membranes - ✔️✔️A thin double layered membrane; the layer adhering to the
organ is called the visercal serosa and the layer adhering to the body wall is the parietal