| A | B |
|---|
| medial | toward the middle of the structure or entire body |
| lateral | towards the side of the structure or entire body |
| superior | towards the top or above |
| transverse (axial) plane | separates the body into superior and inferior portions; runs horizontal |
| sagittal (lateral) plane | separates the structure into right and left portions; runs vertically front to back |
| frontal (coronal) plane | separates the structure into anterior & posterior portions; runs vertically left to right |
| mid- | prefix used when a plane cuts a structure into equal parts |
| ventral | towards the front; belly side |
| dorsal | towards the back; back side |
| peritoneum | lining of the abdominal cavity |
| anatomy | study of body structure including size, shape, composition, etc |
| physiology | study of how the body functions |
| anatomical position | standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides with palms forward, feet slightly apart |
| inferior | towards the bottom or below |
| anterior | towards the front |
| posterior | towards the back |
| cephalic | towards the head |
| caudal | towards the "tail" |
| proximal | near the midline or beginning |
| distal | farther from the midline or beginning |
| dorsal cavity | in skull and spine; contains brain and spinal cord |
| ventral cavity | in torso; contains all other internal organs |
| thoracic | pertaining to the chest |
| thoracic cavity | located within the chest; contains the heart and lungs |
| abdominal cavity | area from bottom of ribcage to top of hipbones |
| pelvic cavity | space formed by the pelvic or hip bones |
| superficial | on the surface |
| deep | away from the surface |
| diaphragm | muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities |
| cranial cavity | cavity inside the skull that contains the brain |
| spinal cavity | cavity that contains the spinal cord |
| mediastinum | space between the lungs that contains the heart |
| pleural cavity | space between the fold of the membranes surrounding each lung |
| visceral | pertaining to the internal organs |
| parietal | pertaining to a wall |
| hypochondriac region | upper lateral regions of the abdomen |
| epigastric region | upper medial region of the abdomen |
| lumbar region | middle lateral regions of the abdomen; sides of the waist |
| umbilical region | center region of the abdomen; surrounds the belly button |
| inguinal region | lower lateral regions of the abdomen |
| hypogastric region | lower medial region of the abdomen |
