White Plains High School
Anatomy & Physiology I
Dr. Mettler
Laboratory Exercise: The Language of Anatomy
This exercise presents some of the most important anatomical terms you will be using
through out this course. These terms deal with gross anatomy or structures that you can
see with the naked eye.
Anatomical Position
In the anatomical position, the human body is erect, with the head and toes pointed
forward and the arms at the sides with the palms facing forward.
Activity 1
Stand, and assume the anatomical position. Notice that it is not a comfortable position
to be in because you must hold your hands in a forward position. What position is
more comfartable for your hands?
Surface Anatomy
The body surface provide a number of visible land marks that can be used to study the
body. Several of these are described on the following pages.
Activity 2
Identify and use anatomical terms to correctly label the following regions in Figure 1.1
Place the number of the term on the area indicated in Figure 1.1a (below left).
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Figure 1.1a
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Figure 1b
Anterior Body Land Marks
Abdominal: The anterior body trunk region inferior to the ribs
Antecubital: The anterior surface of the elbow
Axillary: The armpit
Brachila: The arm
Buccal: The cheek
Carpal: The wrist
Cervical: The neck region
Coxal: The hip
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9. Deltoid: The round area on the superior margin of the shoulder shoulder
10. Digital: The fingers or toes
11. Femoral: The thigh
12. Fibular: The lateral side of the leg
13. Inguinal: The groin
14. Mammary: The breast region
15. Manus: The hand
16. Nasal: The nose
17. Oral: The mouth
18. Orbital: The bony eye socket (orbit)
19. Patellar: The anterior knnee region (knee cap)
20. Pelvic: The pelvis region
21. Pubic: The gential region
22. Sternal: The breatbone region
23. Tarsal: The ankle
24. Thoracic: The chest
25. Umbilical: The navel (belly button)
Activity 3
Using Figure 1.1b (above right), identify and label the following body parts .
Posterior Body Land Marks
26. Cephalic: The head
27. Gluteal: The buttocks
28. Lumber: The area of the back between the ribs and the hips
29. Occiptial: The posterior aspect of the head or base of the skull
30. Popliteal: The back of the knee
31. Sacral: the area between the hips
32. Scapular: The scapula or shoulder blade
33. Sural: The calf or posterior surface of the lower leg
34. Vertebral: the spinal column area
Body Orientation and Direction
Study the terms below and refer to Figure 1.2. Notice as you read that certain term have
a different meaning for a fourlegged animal than they do for the two legged human.
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Med
Figure 1.2
Superior/inferior (above/below): These terms refer to the location of a structure along
the long axis of the body. Superior structures are above other structures and inferior
are below.
Anterior/posterior (front/back): In humans the most anterior structures arethose that
are most forward-the face, chest and abdomine. Posterior structures are those towards
the back side.
Medial/lateral (toward or away from the midline): Medial structures are thosecloser to
the body midline than lateral structures.
The above terms are based on the anatomical position. The terms below are more
precise in that they do not relate to a particular position.
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Cephalad/ caudad (toward the head, toward the tail) : In humans these terms can be
used instead of superior/ inferior. In four legged animals, they are synonyms for
anterior/posterior.
Dorsal/Ventral (backside/bellyside): The term dorsal refers to the backside or animal’s
back. The term ventral refersto the belly of the animal. In humans these terms are
interchanable with anterior and posterior. In four legged animals they are
interchangable with superior and inferior.
Proximal/distal (nearer to the trunk/farther from the trunk): These terms are used to
locate areas along the body’s limbs or an elongated organ such as the intestine. For
example, the wrist is distal to the elbow. The colon is di stal to the stomach.
Superficial/deep (toward or away from the body surface): These are used to describe an
organs position relative to the body surface. For example, the skin is superficial to the
skeletal muscles.
Activity 4
Using your own body, specify the relationship between each of the following structures.
1. The wrist is __________________________________to the hand.
2. The trachea is ________________________________to the spine.
3. The brain is __________________________________to the spinal cord.
4. The kidneys are ______________________________ to the liver.
5. The nose is _________________________________ to the cheeek bones.
6. The chest is _______________________________ to the abdomen.
7. The ears are _______________________________ to the nose.
8. The naval is _______________________________ to the spine.
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9. The shoulder is ____________________________to the elbow.
10. The heart is _____________________________ to the lungs.
Body Planes and Sections
The body is three dimensional. To observe its internal parts, it often helps to make a
section or a cut along an imaginary plane, There are three planes typically used and are
illustrated in Figure 1.3. These planes lie at right angles to each other.
Figure 1.3
Sagittal plane: A plane that runs lengthwise or longitudunally down the length
of the body, dividing it into left and right halves is a sagittal plane. If it divides the
body into equal halves right down the midline, it is called a midsagittal section.
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Frontal (coronal) plane: A longitudinal plane that divides the body or organ into
anterior and posterior parts (front and back).
Transverse plane: A plane that runs horizontally, dividing the body into superior and
inferior parts. Commonly called a cross section.
Oblique: This is a plan that is cut at an angle to the sagittal or frontal planes.
Activity 5
Go to the demonstration area and get pieces of clay. Roll the green piece flat and then
roll the yellow cylinder of clay up with the green clay, as demonstrated by your teacher.
 Make a midline longitudinal cut (length wise) and draw how the two halves look
below using colored pencils.

Place the two halves back together and now make a transverse cut anyware
through your clay log. Draw how the two opposing halves look below.
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
Place the two halves back together and now make an oblique cut anyware
through your clay log. Draw how the two opposing halves look below.
Body Cavities
The axial portion portion of the body id divided into two main cavities which are
shown in figure 1.4 below.
Figure 1.4
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Dorsal Body Cavity
The dorsal body cavity consists of the cranial and spinal cavities. The cranial cavity,
with in the skull, contains the brain. The spinal cavity, which runsl within the bony
vertebral column, contains the spinal cord. These two cavities are continuous with each
other.
Ventral Body Cavity
The ventral body cavity is subdivided into two major cavities which each being further
subdivided. The superior thoracic Cvity is separated from the rest of the ventral cavity
by the muscular diaphragm. The heart and lungs are located in this cavity and are
boarded laterally by the ribs. The cavity inferior to the diaphragm is the
abdominalpelvic cavity. This is furhter divided into the abdominal cavity which
contains the major organs of digestion including the liver, stomach and intestines. The
pelvic cavity lies in the inferior part of this cavity and is boardered by thebony pelvis. It
contains the organs of reproduction plus the bladder and rectum. This cavity points
posteriorally from the abdominal cavity.
Abdominopelvic Quadrants and Regions
The abdominalpelvic cavity is quite large and contains many organs.. Typically the
abdomine is divided into smaller quadrants for ease of examination. These are the right
upper quadrant, right lower qluadrant, left upper quadrant and left lower quadrant. (Figure 5a)
Figure 5a
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Tenderness in any of these regions can be used in diagnosing various conditions. For
example, tenderness to the right lower quadrant can be an indicator of appendicitis.
Tenderness to the upper right quadrant can indicate a possible problem with the gall
bladder.
Another scheme used by anatomists divides the abdominal surface up into nine
separate regions divided by four planes as shown in figure 5b.
Figure 5b
Umbilical region: The centermost region, which includes the umbilicus.
Epigastric region: Just superior to the umbilical region. It overlies most of the stomach.
Hypogastric region: Just inferior to the umbilical region. It contains the pubic area.
Iliac regions (left & right): Lateral to the hypogastric region, they overlie the superior
part of the pelvis.
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Lumbar regions (left & right): Lateral to the umbilical region, they lie between the ribs
and the flaring portion of the pelvis.
Hypochondriac regions (left & right): Lateral to the epigastric region, they overlie the
lower ribs.
Activity 6
Draw the nine quadrants on the diagram below. Label each one and then identify one
major organ found in that region. Place your answers in the table below.
Quadrant
Organ
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Analysis
Surface Anatomy
1. Match each of the following descriptions with a key term, and record them in
front of the description.
Brachial
Buccal
Carpal
Cervical
Deltoid
Digital
________________A. Cheek
________________B. Refers to the fingers
________________C. Shoulder blade
________________D. Wrist area
________________E. Anterior portion of the knee
________________F. Referring to the arm
________________G. Curve of the shoulder
________________H. Referring to the neck
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Patellar
Scapular
Body Orientation, Direction, Planes & Sections
2. Several incomplete statements are listed below. Correctly complete each
statement by choosing the appropriate anatomical term from the key. Record the
key terms on the corresponding numbered blanks below.
Anterior
Distal
Frontal
Inferior
Lateral
Medial
Posterior
Proximal
Sagittal
Superior
Transverse
In the anatomical position, the umbilicus and knees are on the ___1____ body
surface; the calves and shoulder blades are on the ___2____body surface; and the soles
obshoulders and __5__to the nose. The breast bone is __6__ to the vertebral column
__7__to the shoulders. The elbow is __8__ to the shoulder but is __9__to the fingers.
The thoracic cavity is __10__to the abdominopelvic cavity and __11__to the spinal
cavity. In humans, the ventral surface can also be called the __12__ surface; however in
quadruped animals, the ventral surface is the __13__ surface.
If an incision cuts the brain into superior and inferior parts, the section is a
__14__ section; but if the brain is cut so that the anterior and posterior portions result,
the section is a __15__section. You are told to cut a dissection animal along two planes
so that the lungs are observable in both sections. The two sections that meet this
requirement are the __16__ and __17__ sections.
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6
12
2
7
13
3
8
14
4
9
15
4
10
16
5
11
17
14
3. Correctly identify each of the body planes by placing the appropriate term for
each below the drawing.
1.______________________ 2._______________________ 3. ________________________
Body Cavities
4. Which body cavity would have to be opened for the following types of surgery?
Insert the term in the adjacent blank.
Abdominopelvic
Cranial
Dorsal
Spinal
Thoracic
Ventral
A. Surgery to remove a cancerous lung
___________________________________
B. Removal of an ovary
__________________________________
C. Surgery to remove a ruptured disk
__________________________________
D. Appendectomy
__________________________________
E. Removal of the gallbladder
__________________________________
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