• Anatomical position means that the body is standing erect, facing forward with the arms at the sides and the palms facing forward .

• anterior……………………….front
• caudal………………………….tail, (downward)
• cephalic……………………....head, (upward)
• distal……………………………away (from the point of reference)
• dorsal…………………………..back
• inferior…………………….... below
• lateral…………………….…….side

• medial………………………middle
• posterior…………………….back, behind
• proximal……………………near(the point of reference)
• superior……………………..above
• ventral………………………belly (front)

The body has 2 main cavities:
– Dorsal cavity
(back).
– Ventral cavity
(front).
Crani al cavity
Spinal cavity
Thoraci c cavity
Diaphrag m
Abdomin al cavity
Pelvic cavity

• Located on the posterior (dorsal) side of the body
• It consists of 2 cavities
1. Cranial Cavity The bones of the skull create the cranial cavity to protect the brain
2. Spinal (vertebral)
Cavity Formed by the vertebrae of the spine that surrounds the spinal cord.

• Ventral Cavity – located on the anterior/ventral side of the body. It is made up of three cavities. Two are divided by the diaphragm.

• This is the portion of the Ventral
Cavity superior to the diaphragm.
• It contains the heart, lungs and major vessels

• Located inferior to the diaphragm. It includes the following organs:
• Stomach
• Spleen
• Liver
• Gallbladder
• pancreas
• Small intestine
• Most of the large intestine

• The pelvic cavity is surrounded by the pelvic bones. The pelvic cavity contains:
• Urinary bladder
• male and female reproductive organs
• Parts of the digestive system

Planes of the body
Body planes are imaginary lines that divide the body into sections
– Midsagittal plane – divides the body into equal right and left sides.
– sagittal plane – divides the body into 2 parts, right and left.
– Frontal or coronal plane – divides the body into anterior and posterior sections.
– Transverse plane – divides the body horizontally into a top, or superior, part and a bottom, or inferior, part.

Superior
Frontal
Proximal
Distal
Midsagittal
Transverse
Posterior
Medial
Lateral
Anterior
Inferior

Divides body into equal right & left halves.

Divides body into front & back portions

Divides body into upper
& lower portions .

• The abdominal/pelvic cavity is so large that it is divided into regions
• One method of division is
quadrants. Quadrants divide the abdominal/pelvic cavity into four sections using the belly button as the point of reference for both the horizontal and vertical lines

• Epigastric – above the
• A more precise stomach
• Umbilical - near the belly method of division is abdominal button
• Hypogastric –below the stomach regions . This
• Hypochondriac – below the method divides ribs the area into a tic
• Lumbar/Lateral – in tac toe board between the hypocondriac and iliac
• Iliac/inguinal – near the groin