ANHB1101 Final: HUMAN BIOLOGGGGYYY.output
5 Jun 2018
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ANHB1101
Anatomical Position:
• When we refer and describe the human body, we need to assume that we are always referring to
anatomical position
• Anatomical position allows us to refer to the correct positions of body parts, no matter how we
describe the positions and despite whatever the position the body may be in (e.g. laying
sideways, downwards, etc.)
• If you are asked to refer to an image that is given to you in anatomical position, remember that
their right is your left, and their left is your right (opposites)
• The Radius and the Ulna run parallel to each other, the radius is lateral to the ulna
• When the palm faces posteriorly, the radius and the ulna cross
→
radius lateral to ulna at the
elbow (proximally), but medial to the ulna at the wrist (distally)
How to describe the anatomical position:
• The body stands erect with the feet flat on the floor and close together
• The arms are at the side with the legs hip width apart
• The palms and the face are directed forwards (anteriorly) with the eyes looking ahead
Anatomical Planes of Reference:
Body Planes
Description
Movement
Sagittal
Run vertically. Divide body into left and
right portions
Forward/ Backwards
Midsagittal
(median)
Run vertically. Divide body into equal
left and right portions
Parasagittal
Run vertically. Divide body into
unequal left and right portions
Frontal (Coronal)
Run vertically. Divide body into anterior
and posterior
Sideways
Transverse
(Horizontal/ Cross-
sectional)
Run parallel to ground. Divide body into
superior and inferior
Rotational in nature
Examples of Body Planes:
Pass through eyes?
Transverse (Horizontal) and Coronal (Frontal)
Divide head symmetrically?
Midsagittal
Pass through 1 eye only?
Parasagittal
Pass through both elbows?
Coronal (Frontal) and Transverse (Horizontal)
Directional Terms:
• Directional terms are words that describe the location of a structure
relative to another structure
• For the limbs, we tend to use ‘Proximal' and ‘Distal’, rather than words such
as ‘Inferior’ and ‘Superior’
• Bipedal stances are very different to Quadrupedal stances and therefore
the terms can be different
• For locomotion, we tend to describe using terms such as ‘Anterior’ and
‘Posterior’ and we describe it in reference to the direction of locomotion
(whether they are walking forwards, sideward or backwards)
• Locomotion is the direction of normal movement of a body (the most
common type of locomotion is forwards)
Body Planes and their directions:
Plane
Term
Direction
Frontal
(Coronal)
Anterior (*Ventral)
Towards feet/ in front of structure
Posterior (*Dorsal)
Towards back/behind a structure
Horizontal
(Transverse)
Superior (*Cranial)
Towards top
Inferior (*Caudal)
Towards bottom
Sagittal
Medial
Towards midline/centre
Lateral
Away form midline/centre
Superficial
Towards/ closest to surface
Deep
Away from surface/ closer to deep down
Proximal
Closer to trunk
Distal
Further away from trunk
Directional Terms Table:
TERM
MEANING
EXAMPLES
Ventral
Toward the front (or toward the belly)
The aorta is ventral to the vertebral column
Dorsal
Toward the back (or toward the spine)
The vertebral column is dorsal to the aorta
Anterior
Toward the ventral side (toward the front)
The sternum is anterior to the heart
Posterior
Toward the dorsal side (toward the back)
The oesophagus is posterior to the trachea
Cephalic
Toward the head or superior end
The cephalic end of the embryonic neural tube develops into the
brain
Rostral
Toward the forehead or nose
The forebrain is rostral to the brainstem
Caudal
Toward the tail or inferior end
The spinal chord is caudal to the brain
Superior
Above
The heart is superior to the diaphragm
Inferior
Below
The liver is inferior to the diaphragm
Medial
Toward the median plane (toward the middle)
The heart is medial to the lungs
Lateral
Away from the median plane (away from the middle)
The eyes are lateral from the nose
Proximal
Closer to the point of attachment or origin
The elbow is proximal to wrist
Distal
Farther from the point of attachment or origin
The fingernails are at the distal ends of the fingers
Ipsilateral
On the same side of the body
The liver is Ipsilateral to the appendix
Contralateral
On opposite sides of the body
The spleen is contralateral to the liver
Superficial
Closer to the body surface
The skin is superficial to the muscles
Deep
Farther from the body surface
The bones are deep to the muscles
* NB: These are mostly for humans only, or Bipedalism
Comparison of Directional Terms (Bipedal and Quadrupedal)
ANHB1101
Major Body Regions:
• The body is divided into two major regions called ‘Axial’ and ‘Appendicular’
The axial region:
• The axial region consists of the head, neck (cervical region), and the trunk
• The trunk is further divided into the thoracic region above the diaphragm and has the abdominal region below it
• We can divide the abdomen into quadrants, this technique is used to describe the site of abdominal pains or abnormalities
• We can also divide the abdomen into 9 regions which are defined by 4 lines that intersect
• Each of these lines are called midclavicular lines because it passed through the mid-line of the clavicle
• The superior horizontal line is called the ‘subcostal’ line and the inferior horizontal line is called the ‘intertubercular’ line
Appendicular region:
• The appendicular region consists of the upper and lower limbs (or appendages) of the body
• The term ‘arm’ only applies to the upper arm, and the term ‘leg’ only applied to the upper leg
Terms and regions:
Upper limb
Arm, forearm and hand
*Arm
Humerus (i.e. between shoulder joint and elbow)
Forearm
Radius and ulna (between wrist and elbow)
Wrist
Narrow part that is distal to the ends of the radius
and ulna. (Carpals are your wrist bones
→
this is
not where you put on your watch)
Hand
Carpals, metacarpals, phalanges
Palm (Ventral surface)
Anterior surface of hand when in anatomical position
Dorsum of hand
Back of hand, the nails are on this surface
Lower limb
Thigh, leg and foot
Thigh
Femur (i.e. hip to the knee)
*Leg
Tibia and fibula (knee to the ankle)
Ankle
Between the ankle joint, tibia, fibula, talus (tarsal bone)
Foot
Tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges
Plantar surface (Sole)
On the ground in anatomical position
Dorsum of foot
Superior surface of foot in anatomical position, nails
are on the surface
