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Ann Willis
Organization of the body
Question | Answer |
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What is the Anatomical Position? | In the anatomical position, the body is in an erect, or standing, posture with the arms at the sides and palms forward. The head and feet are also pointing forward. |
What are the Anatomical Directions? | Superior and Inferior, Anterior and Posterior, Medial and Lateral, Proximal and Distal, Superficial and Deep |
Superior and Inferior terms | Superior means “toward the head,” and inferior means “toward the feet.” Superior also means “upper” or “above,” and inferior means “lower” or “below.” |
Anterior and Posterior terms | Anterior means “front” or “in front of”; posterior means “back” or “in back of.” For example, the nose is on the anterior surface of the body, and the shoulder blades are on its posterior surface |
Medial and Lateral terms | Medial means “toward the midline of the body”; lateral means “toward the side of the body, or away from its midline.” |
Proximal and Distal terms | Proximal means “toward or nearest the trunk of the body, or nearest the point of origin of one of its parts”; distal means “away from or farthest from the trunk or the point of origin of a body part.” |
Superficial and Deep terms | Superficial means “nearer the surface”; deep means “farther away from the body surface.” |
BODY PLANES AND SECTIONS | The transparent glasslike plates that divide the body into parts represent different planes of the body. |
Transverse Plane | Any crosswise plane that divides the body or any of its parts into upper and lower parts |
Sagital Plane | Any lengthwise plane running from front to back and top to bottom, dividing the body or any of its parts into right and left sides, |
Coronal Plane | Any lengthwise plane running from side to side and top to bottom, dividing the body or any of its parts into anterior and posterior por- |