Anatomical Terminology
A. Relative Positions
1. Terms of relative position are used to describe the location of a part relative to another part. Write in the corresponding direction.
| inferior | below, toward the feet |
| anterior | toward the front |
| posterior | toward the back |
| medial | closer to middle of body |
| lateral | away from midline |
| bilateral | paired, one on each side |
| ipsilateral | on the same side |
| contralateral | on opposite sides |
| proximal | closer to the trunk |
| distal | farther from trunk |
| superficial | outward, near the surface |
| deep | internal toward the center of the body |
2. Quiz yourself by writing the corresponding terms of relative position for: superior _________inferior ____________ anterior_________, posterior__________, medial__________ lateral___________ proximal_________ distal ___________ superficial (peripheral)______, and deep. ___________
Now describe the position of your finger from your elbow? _________ heart from spine __________
Nose from elbow ________________ Head from your sternum ___________________
B. Body Sections
1. A sagittal section divides the body into right and left portions.
Mid Sagittal section is? _______________________________
2. A transverse section divides the body into superior and inferior portions.
3. A coronal section divides the body into anterior and posterior sections.
4. Sometimes a cross section, oblique section, or longitudinal section will be made through a cylindrical organ.
C. Body Regions
| acromial | point of the shoulder |
| antebrachial | forearm |
| antecubital | space in front of the elbow |
| axillary | armpit |
| brachial | arm |
| buccal | cheek |
| carpal | wrist |
| celiac | abdomen |
| cephalic | head |
| cervical | neck |
| costal | ribs |
| coxal | hip |
| crural | leg |
| cubital | elbow |
| digital | finger or toe |
| dorsum | back |
| femoral | thigh |
| frontal | forehead |
| genital | reproductive organs |
| gluteal | buttocks |
| inguinal | depressed area of the abdominal wall near the thigh |
| lumbar | region of the lower back between the ribs and the pelvis |
| mammary | breast |
| mental | chin |
| nasal | nose |
| occipital | lower posterior region of the head |
| oral | mouth |
| orbital | eye cavity |
| otic | ear |
| palmar | palm |
| patellar | kneecap |
| pectoral | chest |
| pedal | foot |
| pelvic | pelvis |
| perineal | region between the anus and the external genitalia |
| plantar | sole of the foot |
| popliteal | area behind the knee |
| sacral | posterior region between the hipbones |
| sternal | middle of the anterior thorax |
| sural | calf of the leg |
| tarsal | instep of the foot (ankle) |
| umbilical | navel |
| vertebral | spinal column |
1. The abdominal area can be divided into nine regions, and the side is determined by the patients right and left.
Start at the belly button button. Place your hand on your belly button. This is the gastric region. Above is the epigastric and below is the hypogastric. (epi means upon. Hypo means down or less than normal.)
What does lumbar refer to? ____________________________________________________
What does chondro refer to? ____________________________________________________
What does iliac refer to? _______________________________________________________