Unit 2
Unit 2
The Anatomical Positions
1. Warm – up
A QUOTATION
Find the thing you want to do most intensely; make sure that's it, and do it with all your
might.
H.G.WELLS (1866-1946)
2. Reading
Task 1
What is an idiom? An idiom is usually defined as a phrase which means something
different from the meanings of the separate words from which is formed. It cannot be
understood when it is translated word by word. It is also often difficult to understand as
it is based on a certain issue typical for the country's culture. Match the English idioms
with their correct explanations.
a) not to show feelings of fear,
1. to hold your tongue
sadness, and so on, when
2. to be hot-headed
faced with disappointmemts
3. to keep your chin up
b) to keep quiet when you
4. not to have anything between the
want to say something
ears
c) to be stupid
5. to keep someone at arm's length
d) to avoid being close or
friendly
e) to get angry very easily
In the anatomical position the body is assumed to be standing, the feet together, the
arms to the side, and the head and eyes and palms of the hands facing forwards.
A body plane is an imaginary flat surface that is used to define a particular area of anatomy.
The body can be divided by these imaginary planes: a frontal (coronal) plane,
a parasagittal (paramedian) plane, a sagittal (median) plane and a transverse
(horizontal/axial) plane.
The frontal plane divides the front and back halves of the entire body.
A parasagittal (paramedian) plane passes vertically through the midline and cuts the body
into halves, right and left.
A sagittal (median) plane divides the left and right sides of the entire body.
A transverse (horizontal/axial) plane divides the body at the waist (top and bottom halves
of the body).
The system of planes is also used with parts of the body, including internal parts. In such
case we speak e.g. about midsagittal section of the head, sagittal section of the eye,
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Unit 2
frontal section of the brain, transverse section or cross-section of the abdomen, or
longitudinal section of the tooth (text adapted from Džuganová, 1999, p.12).
Figure 2 Anatomical imaginary planes ( available on <http://
www.medic.med.uth.tmc.edu/planes2.GIF>)
3. Grammar Presentation
Anatomical terms of relationship
It can be used these anatomical terms of relationship.
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Unit 2

A. Anterior - front

E. Medial - midline

B. Posterior - back

F. Lateral – to side

C. Superior - cranial

G. Proximal – nearer to

D. Inferior - caudal - down

H. Distal – farther from
Task 1
Complete the following sentences with suitable prepositions.
a) The arms are hanging _____________ the sides _____________ the palms
facing _____________and the legs are parallel to each other _____________
feet together.
b) The head is superior _____________ the neck.
c) The abdomen is inferior _____________ the thorax.
d) The diaphragm lies _____________ the abdomen and the thorax.
Task 2
Multiple-choice test
1. The abdomen is ____________ to the thorax.
a) inferior b) posterior c) median d) lateral
2. In anatomical terminology “above” is referred to as _____________.
a) over b) inferior c) superior d) posterior
3. A frontal plane is also the same as a ________ plane.
a) vertical b) horizontal c) coronal d) median
4. Communication Activity
a) In pairs prepare a short quiz on individual parts of the human body, e.g.
1) You have five of them on each hand.......................... .
2) The bony frame inside the body................................. .
3) You can speak with it and sing .................................. .
4) The middle part of the leg that bends......................... .
5) You wear your watch on it ........................................ .
b) Describe your partner face, use suitable adjectives to make sentences.
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Unit 2
Vocabulary
anatomical [ə'nætomikl] – anatomický
anterior aspect [æntiəriə(r)æspekt] – predný pohľad
concentrical [kənsentrikl] – koncentrický
coronal plane [korənl plein] – korunková rovina
cranial [ kreiniəl ] – lebečný, hlavový
cross-section [kros-sekšn] – prierez
deep [di:p] – hlboký
distal [distl] – distálny, dolný
dorsal [do:sl] – dorzálny, zadný, chrbtový
downwards [daunwo:ds] – smerom nadol
external [ekstə: nl] – vonkajší
frontal [frantl] – frontálny, predný
horizontal [horizontl] – horizontálny
inferior [in'fiəriə] – dolný, spodný
inner [inə] – vnútorný
internal [intə:nl] – vnútorný
lateral [lætrl] – bočný, postranný
longitudinal [londžitju:dinl] – pozdĺžny
medial [mi:diəl] – stredný, stredový, priemerný, bežný
median [mi:diən] – stredový
outer [autə] – vonkajší
parasagittal [pærə'sædžitl] – predozadný, parasagitálny
plane [plein] – rovina
posterior [postiəriə(r)] – zadný
principal [prinsəpl] –hlavný
proximal [proksiml] – proximálny, bližší
sagittal [sædžitl] – sagitálny, predozadný
section [sekšn] – sekcia, oblasť
superior [sjupərior] – horný, vrchný
superficial [su:pə'fišl – povrchový, povrchný
transverse [trænzvə:s] – priečny
upright [ap'rait] – vzpriamený, zvislý
ventral [ventrəl] – brušný, predný
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