Anatomy Terminology

Anatomy – The study of the structure of the body and the relationships between the structures.

Physiology – Study of the function of the body parts

Pathology – Structural and functional changes associated with diseases.

• Etiology – Etio =cause. Study of the cause of disease
• Sign – Objective evidence of disease that can be observed or measured.
• Symptom – Subjective change in body function not apparent to an observer and can’t be measured.
• Treatment – the management and care of a patient or client

Levels of Structural Organization

1. Atoms – Smallest building block of matter made up of protons, electrons and neutrons. Two or more atoms combine to form molecules which are the building block of body structures. Some examples are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
2. Chemicals – Subatominc particles, atoms and molecules form elements which essential for maintaining life
3. Cellular – basic structural and functional units are called cells of an organism (muscle cells, nerve cells, blood cells)
4. Tissues – A group of similar cells that have a similar origin in the embryo and perform specific functions.  The four basic tissue types are epithelium, connective tissue, muscle tissue, nerve tissue.
5. Organs – Composed of two or more different tissues and have specific functions and recognizable shape.  Examples: brain, stomach, liver.
6. System – Related organs that have a common function like the digestive system that is composed of the mouth, salivary glands, throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gall bladder and pancreas.  The systems are integumentary, skeletal, nervous, muscular, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems.
7. Organism – Living individual

Anatomical Position – erect, palms forward, feet flat on the floor, arms at the side.

1. Prone – lying horizontal, face down
2. Supine- lying horizontal, face up
3. Superior- above or in a higher position
4. Inferior- below or lower position
5. Anterior – ventral – front
6. Posterior – dorsal – back
7. Cranial – near the head
8. Caudal – near the sacral region of spinal column
9. Medial – toward midline of the body
10. Lateral – away from the midline towards the side
11. Contralateral –
12. ipsilateral
13. Proximal – nearest the origin of a structure
14. Distal – farthest away from a region
15. Superficial – towards surface
16. Deep – Internal
17. Palmar
18. Dorsal
19. Ventral
20. Plantar
21. Peripheral
22. Central
23. Internal
24. External

Planes of the body

1. Midsagittal – Vertical Plane that divides the body or organ into right and left sides. A Midsaggital plane passes through the midline.
2. Frontal – (coronal) divides the body or organ into anterior and posterior (front and back)
3. Horizontal or Transverse – divides the body or organ into superior and inferior
4. Oblique – divides the body or organ at an angle

Body movements

1. flexion
2.  extension
3. Abduction
4. adduction
5. rotation
6. medial rotation
7. lateral rotation
8. left or right lateral flexion
9. supination
10. pronation
11. elevation
12. depression
13. protraction
14. retraction
15. upward rotation
16. downward rotation
17. inversion
18. eversion
19. dorsiflexion
20. plantar flexion
21. circumduction
    

Body Regions

Head (Cephalic)

1. Skull (Cranial)
   forehead (frontal)
2. Face – Facial
   eye – Orbital
   ear – Otic
   cheek – Buccal
   nose – Nasal
   mouth – Oral
   chine- Mental
3. Neck – Cervical
4. Shoulder- Acromial
5. Upper Extremity
   armpit – axillary
   arm- brachial
   Front of elbow- antecubital
   Back of elbow- Olecranial
   Wrist- carpal
   Palm – metacarpal
   Posterior surface of hand – dorsal
   Fingers – Phalangeal
6. Trunk –Front
   Chest – thoracic
   Breast- mammary
7. Abdomen
   Navel – umbilical
   Hip – Coxal
   Pelvis
   Pubis- Pubic
8. Trunk –the Back
   Back – Dorsal
   Loin – Lumbar
9. Lower Extremity
   Buttock – Gluteal
   Thigh- Femoral
   Anterior knee – Popliteal
   Leg – Crural
   Calf – Sural
10. Foot – Pedal
    Ankle – Tarsal
    Top of Foot – Dorsal
    Sole of Foot- Plantar
    Heel- Calcaneal
    Toes – Digital or Phalangeal

Body Cavities

1.  Dorsal Cavity – Posterior
   Cranial Cavity – skull (cranial ) bones, contain the brain
   Spinal Cavity – or vertebral cavity; vertebrae which contains the spinal cord
2. Ventral Cavity – Anterior; two subdivisions
   Thoracic Cavity – chest cavity, enclosed by ribs; separated from the abdominal cavity by the diaphragm. contain heart and lungs.
   Made up of Pleural cavity which contains the lungs. Pericardial cavity contains the heart. Mediastinum contains the lungs from the breastbone to the vertebrae that contain the heart, thymus, esophagus, trachea and several blood vessels and lymphatic vessels
   
   Abdominopelvic cavity – area below diaphragm;
   Abdominal Cavity – contains stomach, spleen, liver, pancreas, small intestine and most of large intestine
   Pelvic Cavity – contains urinary bladder, reproductive organs and some large intestines.
   
3. Abdominal quadrants:
   
   right upper quadrant – (RUQ) stomach, duodenum, liver, gall bladder, rt. transverse colon
   left upper quadrant – (LUQ ) stomach, spleen, left transverse colon

right lower quadrant – (RLQ) appendix, ascending colon, sacroiliac joint

  left lower quadrant – ( LLQ) descending colon, sacroiliac joint