Axial part
Makes up the main axis of our body, includes the head, neck, and trunk.
Appendicular part
Consists of the appendages, or limbs, which are attached to the body's axis.
Superior
(cranial)
Towards the head end or upper part of a structure or the body; above.
Ex. The head is superior to the abdomen.
Inferior
(caudal)
Away from the head end or toward the lower part 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 anterior to the spine.
Dorsal
(posterior)
Toward or at the back of the body; behind.
Ex. The heart is 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 a more medial and a more lateral structure.
Ex. The collarbone is intermediate between the breastbone ans shoulder.
Proximal
Closer to the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body truck.
Ex. The elbow is proximal to the wrist.
Distal
Farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body truck.
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.
The lungs are deep to the skin.
Sagittal plane
A vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts.
Median plane
A sagittal plane that lies exactly in the midline.
Also known as a midsagittal plane.
Parasagittal planes
All other sagittal planes that are offset from the midline.
Frontal planes
Like sagittal planes, they lie vertically. However, frontal planes divide the body into anterior and posterior parts.
Also known as a coronal plane ("crown").
Transverse plane
Runs horizontally from right to left, dividing the body into superior and inferior parts.
Also known as a horizontal plane.
Cross section
Cut along the transverse, or horizontal, plane.
Also known as a transverse section.
Oblique sections
Cuts made diagonally between the horizontal and the vertical planes.
Frontal section
Cut along the frontal plane.
Median section
Cut along the median (midsagittal) plane.
Dorsal body cavity
Protects the fragile nervous system organs; has two subdivisions: the cranial and vertebral (spinal) cavities.
Cranial cavity
Located in the skin, encases the brain.
Vertebral cavity
Runs within the bony vertebral column, encloses the delicate spinal cord. The spinal cord is essentially a continuation of the brain, and the cranial and spinal cavities are continuous with one another.
Also known as the spinal cavity.
Ventral body cavity
The more anterior and larger of the closed body cavities. Has two major subdivisions: the thoracic and the abdominopelvic cavities.
Contains internal organs collectively called the viscera.
Thoracic cavity
The superior subdivision of the ventral body cavity; is surrounded by the ribs and muscles of the chest. Is further divided two pleural cavities and the medial mediastinum.
Pleural cavities
Each pleural cavity envelopes a lung. Located on each side of the medial mediastinum. In thoracic cavity.
Mediastinum
Contains the pericardial cavity, which encloses the heart and surrounds the remaining thoracic organs. In thoracic cavity.
Diaphragm
Separates the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities. Is a dome-shaped muscle important in breathing.
Abdominopelvic cavity
The inferior subdivision of the ventral body cavity.
Has two parts: the abdominal and pelvic cavities.
Abdominal cavity
Superior part of the abdominopelvic cavity. Contains the stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, and other organs.
Pelvic cavity
Inferior part of the abdominopelvic cavity. Lies in the bony pelvis and contains the bladder, some reproductive organs, and the rectum.
Serous membrane
The walls of the ventral body cavity (parietal serosa) and the outer surfaces of the organs (visceral serosa) it contains are covered by a thin, double-layered membrane.
Parietal serosa
Part of the serous membrane that lines the cavity walls.
Visceral serosa
Part of the serous membrane that covers the organs.
Serous fluid
A thin layer of of lubricating fluid between the parietal serosa and visceral serosa.
Umbilical region
The centermost region deep to and surrounding the umbilicus (navel).
Epigastric region
Located superior to the umbilical region (epi = upon, above; gastri = belly).
Hypogastric (pubic) region
Located inferior to the umbilical region (hypo = below).
Right and Left iliac (inguinal) regions
Located lateral to the hypogastric region (iliac = superior part of the hip bone).
Right and Left lumber regions
Lie lateral to the umbilical region (lumbus = loin).
Right and Left hypochondriac regions
Lie lateral of the epigastric region (chondro = cartilage).
Oral and digestive cavities
The oral cavity, commonly called the mouth, contains the teeth and tongue. This cavity is part of and continuous with the cavity of the digestive organs, which opens to the exterior at the anus.
Nasal cavity
Located within and posterior to the nose, the nasal cavity is part of the respiratory system passageways.
Orbital cavities
The orbital cavities (orbits) in the skull house the eyes and present them in an anterior position.
Middle ear cavities
The middle ears cavities carved into the skull just lie medial to the eardrums. These cavities contain tiny bones that transmit sound vibrations to the hearing receptors in the inner ears.
Synovial cavities
Synovial cavities are joint cavities. They are enclosed within fibrous capsules that surround freely movable joints of the body (such as the elbow and knee joints). Like the serous membrane, membranes lining synovial cavities secrete a lubricating fluid t