Republic of the Philippines
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
REGION V
POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay
INTRODUCTION
The Anatomy and Physiology module introduces the structure and
function of the human body. You will read about the cells, tissues and
membranes that make up our bodies and how our major systems function to
help us develop and stay healthy.
OBJECTIVES
Identify the directional terms and body planes by using examples
Directional Terms
Directional terms describe the positions of structures relative to other structures or
locations in the body.
Superior or cranial - toward the head end of the body; upper (example, the hand is
part of the superior extremity).
Inferior or caudal - away from the head; lower (example, the foot is part of the
inferior extremity).
Anterior or ventral - front (example, the kneecap is located on the anterior side of the
leg).
Posterior or dorsal - back (example, the shoulder blades are located on the posterior
side of the body).
Medial - toward the midline of the body (example, the middle toe is located at the
medial side of the foot).
Lateral - away from the midline of the body (example, the little toe is located at the
lateral side of the foot).
Proximal - toward or nearest the trunk or the point of origin of a part (example, the
proximal end of the femur joins with the pelvic bone).
Distal - away from or farthest from the trunk or the point or origin of a part (example,
the hand is located at the distal end of the forearm).
Planes of the Body
Coronal Plane (Frontal Plane) - A
vertical plane running from side to side; divides
the body or any of its parts into anterior and
posterior portions.
Sagittal Plane (Lateral Plane) - A
vertical plane running from front to back; divides
the body or any of its parts into right and left
sides.
Axial Plane (Transverse Plane) A horizontal plane; divides the body or any of its
parts into upper and lower parts.
Median plane - Sagittal plane through the
midline of the body; divides the body or any of
its parts into right and left halves.
Body Cavities
The cavities, or spaces, of the body contain
the internal organs, or viscera. The two main
cavities are called the ventral and dorsal
cavities.
Ventral cavity
The ventral is the larger cavity and is
subdivided into two parts (thoracic and
abdominopelvic cavities) by the diaphragm, a dome
shaped respiratory muscle.
Thoracic cavity
The upper ventral, thoracic, or chest cavity
contains the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus,
large blood vessels, and nerves. The thoracic
cavity is bound laterally by the ribs (covered by costal pleura) and the diaphragm
caudally (covered by diaphragmatic pleura).
Abdominal and pelvic cavity
The lower part of the ventral (abdominopelvic) cavity can be further divided into
two portions: abdominal portion and pelvic portion. The abdominal cavity contains most
of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the kidneys and adrenal glands. The abdominal
cavity is bound cranially by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the
pelvic cavity. The pelvic cavity contains most of the urogenital system as well as
the rectum. The pelvic cavity is bounded cranially by the abdominal cavity, dorsally by
the sacrum, and laterally by the pelvis.
Dorsal cavity
The smaller of the two main cavities is called the dorsal cavity. As its name implies, it
contains organs lying more posterior in the body. The dorsal cavity, again, can be divided
into two portions. The upper portion, or the cranial cavity, houses the brain, and the lower
portion, or vertebral canal houses the spinal cord.
The Anatomical Regions of the Body
The anatomical regions (shown) compartmentalize the human body. Just like on a map,
a region refers to a certain area. The body is divided into two major portions: axial and
appendicular.
The axial body runs right down the center (axis) and consists of everything except the limbs,
meaning the head, neck, thorax (chest and back), abdomen, and pelvis. The appendicular
body consists of appendages, otherwise known as upper and lower extremities (which you call
arms and legs). https://www.dummies.com/education/science/anatomy/anatomical-regionsbody/
Here’s
of the axial body’s main regions:

Head and neck
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cephalic (head)
Cervical (neck)
Cranial (skull)
Frontal (forehead)
Nasal (nose)
Occipital (base of skull)
Oral (mouth)
Orbital/ocular (eyes)

Thorax
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Axillary (armpit)
Costal (ribs)
Deltoid (shoulder)
Mammary (breast)
Pectoral (chest)
Scapular (shoulder blade)
Sternal (breastbone)
Vertebral (backbone)

Abdomen
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Abdominal (abdomen)
Gluteal (buttocks)
Inguinal (bend of hip)
Lumbar (lower back)
Pelvic (area between hipbones)
Perineal (area between anus and external genitalia)
Pubic (genitals)
Sacral (end of vertebral column)
Here’s a list of the appendicular body’s main regions:

Upper extremity




Antebrachial (forearm)
Antecubital (inner elbow)
Brachial (upper arm)
Carpal (wrist)
a list




Cubital (elbow)
Digital (fingers/toes)
Manual (hand)
Palmar (palm)

Lower extremity
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crural (shin, front of lower leg)
Femoral (thigh)
Patellar (front of knee)
Pedal (foot)
Plantar (arch of foot)
Popliteal (back of knee)
Sural (calf, back of lower leg)
Tarsal (ankle)
NAME: __________________________ BLOCK : _______ SCORE: ______
Multiple Choice:
1. The trunk is inferior to which body part?
A. Head
b. back
c. knee
d. left foot
2. Which statement is false regarding the anatomical position?*
a. The palms face the front.
b. The thumbs point away from the body.
c. The head is turned to the left side.
d. The posture is standing erect.
3. The nose is superior to the navel.*
a. True
b. False
4. What’s another name for anterior?*
a. Dorsal
b. Ventral
c. Cranial
d. Caudal
5. The wrist is distal to the elbow.
a. Internal
b. caudal
c. External
d. Cranial
6. The elbow is _________between the wrist and shoulder.*
a. Medial
b. Intermediate
c. Distal
d. Lateral
7. Which statement is false regarding the anatomical position?
a. The palms face the front.
b. The thumbs point away from the body.
c. The head is turned to the left side.
d. The posture is standing erect.
8. The nose is superior to the navel.
a. True
b. False
9. The word anterior means:
a. At or toward the front of the body
b. Away from the insertion point of a structure.
c. At the back or rear of the body.
d. Toward the middle of the body.
10. The heart is _______ to the shoulder.
a. Medial
b. Lateral
c. Distal
d. Proximal
11. the right elbow is distal to the :
a. left elbow
b. right shoulder
c. digits of the right hand
d. left
kneecap
12. The body plane that divides the body into right and left portions is called the:
a. frontal plane
b. horizontal plane
c. sagittal plane
d. jet plane
13. The skin is _________ to the skeletal bones.
a. Superior b. Proximal
c. Superficial d. Inferior
14. The heart is _______ to the shoulder.
a. Medial
b. Lateral
c. Distal
d. Proximal
15. What’s another name for anterior?
a. Dorsal
b. Ventral
c. Cranial
d. Caudal
ESSAY: Answer the questions comprehensively.
1. Why should you use directional terms when describing the location of body parts instead of
more common descriptions such as on top of, below, or to the side?
2. What is plane?
3. How many planes be used to view body structures?
4. What are the major regions of the body?
5. What are the two major cavities in the body, and what cavities does each contain in turn?
6. What are the ways in which the abdominopelvic cavity may be further divided into smaller
regions?