Author: Adrian Rad BSc (Hons) • Reviewer: Nicola McLaren MSc Show Did you hear the saying that learning anatomy is similar to learning a new language? There are thousands of anatomy terms that students need to master in a very short time. The wonderful thing about this language, is that in many cases, the names of anatomy related content are incredibly helpful if you just understand that often the words can be broken down into different parts that have meanings (prefixes and suffixes). However, advancing in anatomy is impossible without conquering the anatomical alphabet first and foremost. This is the foundation onto which further information is built. What does it consist of? Here’s what you need to know like the back of your hand:
In this page, we’ll briefly explain all of these aspects, simplifying your future anatomy learning. Key facts about the anatomical terminology
Anatomical positionAnatomical position (anterior view)When describing any orientation, location, movement, and direction, the reference is the anatomical position. In this universally accepted reference, the person is considered to be standing upright, with the arms hanging by the side, palms facing forward, and thumbs pointing away from the body. The feet are slightly parallel, and toes oriented to the front. The anatomical position has no real meaning on its own since it is a reference for position. It has to be placed in the same context as other anatomical terms, such as body planes, directions, and relations. Regarding anatomical planes, these are imaginary planes that intersect the body, creating various cuts or slices of various organs and structures. There are four major planes of the body:
Directional termsWe’ve seen how the sections and views included in a typical anatomical atlas are obtained, but how can we describe the position and relation between various structures? By using anatomy directional terms. These adjectives compare the position of two structures relative to one another in the anatomical position. They are in pairs of opposites, so if the nose is superior to the mouth, it is automatically inferred that the mouth is inferior to the nose.
There are quite a lot of them, right? Unfortunately, they are essential and you need to know them like the dorsum of your hand. Here’s a human body diagram that provides you with an overview: Body planes and directional termsDo you want to learn more about body planes and sections, as well as anatomical directions? Check out the following study unit to help you cement your knowledge. If you want to challenge yourself even further, try out our customizable quiz about the anatomical terminology! Types of movementsNow that we’ve looked at planes and relations, let’s learn the anatomy terms that describe movements. As you know, joints are the junction of two or more bones and allow movements to take place in various directions and degrees of motion. Non-skeletal structures like the lips, tongue and eyelids also move, but their associated movement terms are specific. When describing joint movements, two factors are included:
All of these movements can be very confusing without seeing them in action. If you want to simplify your learning about movement terms, take a look below! Anatomical regionsThe 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. The lower limb consists of the hip, gluteal, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, and foot. All of the anatomical regions are defined by precise landmarks making them universally accepted terms that every healthcare professional instantly recognizes and understands. Generally speaking, these landmarks are provided by evident structures that are easily palpable or visible. This is known as surface anatomy. Male body surface anatomy (anterior and posterior views)Female body surface anatomy (anterior and posterior views)On the trunk (thorax and abdomen) there are several lines and surface landmarks, as follows: anterior/posterior median lines, sternal line, parasternal line, midclavicular line, anterior/middle/posterior axillary lines, paravertebral line, scapular line, ribs, sternum, vertebral spinous processes, clavicle, and pectoral muscles. These imaginary lines intersect at various points, creating particular regions between them. These are named:
The head and neckalso consist of regions. They are not formed by precise planes, but they are named according to the anatomical structures contained within them. Therefore, the terms are easy to understand: frontal, orbital, infraorbital, nasal, oral, mental, sternocleidomastoid, lateral cervical, posterocervical, buccal, parotideomasseteric, infratemporal, zygomatic, temporal, occipital, and parietal regions. In addition, there are submandibular, submental, carotid, and muscular triangles, supraclavicular, jugular, and retromandibular fossae. Similar to the head and neck, the extremities are divided into regions according to their anatomical contents. Regions in the upper limb are named scapular, axillary, deltoid, brachial (anterior, posterior), cubital (anterior, posterior), antebrachial (anterior, posterior), carpal (anterior, posterior), palmar, and dorsal regions. Regions of the upper limb (anterior and posterior views)The regions of the lower limbare the following: femoral triangle, gluteal, femoral (anterior, posterior), genicular (anterior, posterior), popliteal, crural (anterior, posterior), lateral retromalleolar, dorsal, plantar, and calcaneal regions. Regions of the lower limb (anterior and posterior views)Solidify your knowledge about the main regions of the body with the following quiz! Abdominopelvic regionsRegarding the abdominal regions, we’ll look at them separately because they are a favourite exam question and crucial clinical topic. Two approaches are used in medical practice. The simpler one takes advantage of a horizontal and vertical axis crossing at right angles directly on the umbilicus. This results in the formation of four abdominal quadrants called right upper (RQQ), left upper (LUQ), right lower (RLQ), and left lower (LLQ) quadrants. The second one involves four planes: two vertical lines running through the middle of the clavicles and middle of the inguinal ligaments, and two horizontal axes. One of which passes directly subcostally, while the second traverses the iliac tubercles. The intersection of these planes forms 9 abdominal regions; the right hypochondriac, epigastric, left hypochondriac, left lumbar, umbilical, right lumbar, right iliac, hypogastric, and left iliac regions. Regions of the thorax and abdomen (anterior and posterior views)Are you curious to find out more about these regions and what organs or structures they include? We’ve got your back - you just need to click below. Body cavitiesMany anatomical structures are housed inside open fluid filled spaces, or cavities, located throughout the body. The most important ones are located axially, meaning inside the skull, vertebral column, thorax, and abdomen. What’s the importance of such spaces? Cavities compartmentalise the body, they also protect and lubricate organs; reducing friction during organ movement. The human body has two cavitary groups - anterior and posterior. The latter is composed of two cavities called the cranial cavity and vertebral canal, which are continuous with each other and contain the central nervous system (brain plus spinal cord). It is filled with cerebrospinal fluid which bathes the central nervous system. The larger anterior cavitary group is composed of several smaller cavities called the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities. The former is composed out of the superior, anterior, middle, and posterior mediastinal cavities, as well as the two pleural cavities. The latter is subdivided into the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The thoracic and abdominal cavities are separated by the diaphragm. Each of these spaces is home to the typical neurovasculature structures and organs specific to each respective region. The pericardial cavity, sitting within the mediastinum, deserves a special mention because it contains the heart. Fortify your knowledge about the cavities of the body with this content we have prepared for you. Synovial jointDo you remember when we talked about all the different anatomical terms representing movements? One set of structures making these actions a daily reality are joints, which are the union of two or more bones. There are many types of joints classified according to many criteria, one example being synovial joints. Also known as diarthrosis, a synovial joint is a potential space containing synovial fluid that separates two bones. It is the most flexible out of all types, allowing a great degree of motion and joint movements. The bone ends are covered with cartilage. There are six main types of synovial joints:
Almost every major joint in the human body is synovial in nature, including the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle joints. If you want to learn more about this specific joint type, tackle the following resources. Brain anatomyHoused within the cranium, more specifically the cranial cavity, the brain consists of folds (gyri), grooves (sulci), and clefts (fissures). It is composed of several parts, such as:
Several lobes of the brain (parietal, occipital, temporal, frontal, and insular) form the cerebral hemispheres, each one having several distinct roles. For example, the frontal lobe function includes motor function, problem solving, memory, language, judgement, and many more. The brainstem is the vegetative and most primitive part, consisting of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. Here’s a brain diagram illustrating its various parts: Overview of the brain (lateral and sagittal views)What about the cerebellum function? This structure is unique in terms of structure and roles, being involved in balance and movement coordination, to name a few. The ventricles are part of an entire system called the ventricular system of the brain that is involved in the production and drainage of the cerebrospinal fluid within the central nervous system. In terms of directional terms, axes, and planes, the brain is quite special. It has neuraxes which are different than the normal body axes. There are two in total called rostral/caudal and ventral/dorsal neuraxes. As you can see, the previous four relation terms are preferred in the brain, but they can change to the normal terms used in other parts of the human body when referring to structures above or below the midbrain. Test your knowledge of the anatomy of the brain with the quiz below! If you want to master the parts of the
brain and their anatomy, as well as the complicated orientation within the brain, take a sneak peek below: SourcesAll content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines. Article, review and layout:
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Anatomical terminology: want to learn more about it? Our engaging videos, interactive quizzes, in-depth articles and HD atlas are here to get you top results faster. What do you prefer to learn with? “I would honestly say that Kenhub cut my study time in half.” – Read more. Kim Bengochea, Regis University, Denver © Unless stated otherwise, all content, including illustrations are exclusive property of Kenhub GmbH, and are protected by German and international copyright laws. All rights reserved.What are the 10 anatomical positions?You might remember from the previous lecture on body planes and sections that the correct anatomical position is the following:. Standing upright.. Head and eyes directed straight ahead.. Upper limbs hanging down at the sides.. Upper limbs slightly away from the trunk so the hands are not touching the sides.. What are the 4 main anatomical positions?The four main anatomical positions are: supine, prone, right lateral recumbent, and left lateral recumbent.
What are the 2 anatomical positions?The front of the body is referred to as anterior or ventral, while the back is referred to as posterior or dorsal. Proximal and distal describe relative position on the limbs. Proximal refers to a feature that is closer to the torso, while distal refers to a feature that is closer to the fingers/toes.
What are 8 anatomical terms?To compare the location of body parts relative to each other, anatomy uses some universal directional terms: anterior, posterior, ventral, dorsal, distal, proximal, medial, lateral, median, superior, inferior, external, internal, frontal, occipital, rostral, caudal, superficial, deep, central, peripheral, ipsilateral, ...
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