Overview of Anatomical Positions

Medical Terminology
Chapter 1
Spelling Medical Terms
Correct spelling of medical terms is very important. A spelling error that changes just
one or two letters can change the entire meaning of a term. Some medical terms are
spelled similarly but have very different meanings, for example, arteriosclerosis and
atherosclerosis. The first term, means hardening of the arteries. The second term
means accumulation of fatty plaques within blood vessels.
As a professional in the medical community, you will enter information into patients
electronic health records on a daily basis. Correctly spelled medical terms are critical to
patient care. Furthermore, chart notes, history and physical examination reports,
operative reports, and other types of health records are considered legal documents.
therefore, accuracy is essential.
Overview of Anatomical Positions, Planes, Directions, and Locations
Healthcare professionals use specific terms to describe anatomical positions, directions,
and locations. These terms are important for a variety of reasons. Before a patient
undergoes surgery, for example, the doctor must accurately record the precise location
of the part of the body on which the surgical procedure is to be performed.
Anatomical Position
When describing body positions or using
directional terms, healthcare professionals
visualize the patient in anatomical position. In
anatomical position, a person is standing upright
with the legs together, feet pointing forward, arms
at the sides, palms facing forward, and head
facing forward. When you view the patient from
the anatomical position, everything that you see
makes up the anterior (ventral) or front surface
of the body. When the patient turns around, what
you see is the posterior (dorsal) or back surface
of the body.
Anatomical Planes
In biology and medicine, the human body is divided into imaginary planes or sections
that are used as reference points when describing body parts and organs. The human
body can be divided into sections along three different planes; the frontal plane (also
called the coronal plane), the sagittal plane, and the transverse plane.
The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right sections. A midsagittal plane or
median plane divides the body into equal right and left
halves.
The frontal plane or coronal plane divides the
into front (anterior/ventral) and back
(posterior/dorsal) sections.
body
The transverse plane divides the

body into upper (superior) and
lower (inferior) sections.
Terms of Position and Direction
In medical terminology, specific terms are used to
describe the relative position of the body or of one body
in relation to another. Terms of position and direction are
always based on anatomical position.
part
Just as road signs indicate the direction of a route, (north,

south, east, or west), directional terms in anatomy and
physiology and in medical terminology often occur in
pairs and generally have opposite meanings.
Term of Position or
Direction
Definition
anterior
front of the body; ventral
anterposterior
passing from the anterior (front) of the body to the posterior (rear)
caudal
toward the tailbone
cephalic
toward the head
distal
away from the point of origin
dorsal
back of the body; posterior
external
outer part of the body
inferior
body part located below another part or closer to the feet
internal
deep within the body
lateral
toward the side of the body
medial
toward the midline of the body
posterior
toward the back of the body
Term of Position or
Direction
Definition
posteroanterior
passing from the posterior (rear) of the body to the anterior (front)
prone
lying face down with the palms facing downward
proximal
closer to the point of origin
superior
body part located above another part or closer to the head
supine
lying on the back with the palms facing upward
ventral
front of the body; anterior
Terms of Position and Direction

Match each term of position of direction with its definition.
Term of Position of Direction
Definition
_____ 1.
external
A.
_____ 2.
prone
B.
passing from the posterior (rear) of the body to

the anterior (front)
outer part of the body
_____ 3.
lateral
C.
toward the head
_____ 4.
superior
D.
front of the body; ventral
_____ 5.
anterior
E.
closer to the point of origin
_____ 6.
posteroanterior
F.
_____ 7.
caudal
G.
body part located below another part or closer

to the feet
deep within the body
_____ 8.
ventral
H.
away from the point of origin
_____ 9.
medial
I.
_____ 10.
distal
J.
lying face down with the palms facing

downward
back of the body; posterior
_____ 11.
supine
K.
_____ 12.
cephalic
L.
body part located above another part or closer

to the head
front of the body; anterior
_____ 13.
proximal
M.
toward the tailbone
_____ 14.
dorsal
N.
toward the midline of the body
_____ 15.
anteroposterior
O.
back of the body; dorsal
_____ 16.
internal
P.
lying on the back with the palms facing upward
_____ 17.
posterior
Q.
toward the side of the body
_____ 18.
inferior
R.
passing from the anterior (front) of the body to

the posterior (rear)
Body Cavities
Body cavities protect and support internal organs. The human body contains two major
cavities: the dorsal cavity, located posteriorly, the ventral cavity, located anteriorly.
The dorsal cavity is subdivided into the cranial cavity, which contains the brain, and the
spinal cavity, which contains the spinal cord. The spinal cavity is also called the
vertebral cavity.
The ventral cavity is subdivided into the thoracic (chest) cavity and the
abdominopelvic cavity. Because the abdominopelvic cavity is large, it is often
subdivided into the abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity.
Abdominopelvic Cavity: Regions

The abdominopelvic cavity is divided into nine regions that resemble the sections of a
Tic-Tac-Toe grid. The nine regions include the right and left hypochondriac regions,
the epigastric region, the right and left lumbar regions, the umbilical region, the
right and left iliac regions, and the hypogastric region.
Body Systems
There are eleven major organ systems in the body, each with its own specific function.
Some of these systems function complimentarily to maintain homeostasis (a state of
internal balance).
The eleven major organ systems are:
Integumentary System (skin)
Skeletal System (bones, cartilage, joints)
Muscular System (muscles)
Nervous System (brain, nerves, spinal cord)
Endocrine System (glands, pancreas)
Respiratory System (lungs, trachea)
Cardiovascular System (heart, blood vessels)
Lymphatic System (spleen, lymph nodes)
Digestive System (stomach, intestines)
Urinary System (kidneys, urethra, urinary bladder)
Reproductive System (uterus, vagina, penis, testis)

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Medical Terminology

The transverse plane divides the

Just as road signs indicate the direction of a route, (north,

front of the body; ventral

toward the tailbone

toward the head

away from the point of origin

back of the body; posterior

outer part of the body

body part located below another part or closer to the feet

deep within the body

toward the side of the body

toward the midline of the body

toward the back of the body

lying face down with the palms facing downward

closer to the point of origin

body part located above another part or closer to the head

lying on the back with the palms facing upward

front of the body; anterior

Terms of Position and Direction

passing from the posterior (rear) of the body to

toward the head

front of the body; ventral

closer to the point of origin

body part located below another part or closer

away from the point of origin

lying face down with the palms facing

body part located above another part or closer

toward the tailbone

toward the midline of the body

back of the body; dorsal

lying on the back with the palms facing upward

toward the side of the body

passing from the anterior (front) of the body to

Abdominopelvic Cavity: Regions

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