Anatomical Position and Planes of the Body

The standard reference position for describing the human body. The body is upright, standing erect with feet together and facing forward. Arms are at the sides with palms facing forward.

A flat surface that divides the body into sections. There are three main planes: sagittal (divides the body into right and left), frontal (divides the body into front and back), and transverse (divides the body into top and bottom).

The skeletal system is divided into two parts: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum. The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the limbs, shoulder girdle, and pelvic girdle.

Bones are classified into five main types based on their shape: long, short, flat, irregular, and sesamoid. Long bones are longer than they are wide, such as the femur. Short bones are cube-shaped, such as the carpals. Flat bones are thin and flattened, such as the skull bones. Irregular bones have complex shapes, such as the vertebrae. Sesamoid bones are small and round, such as the patella.

Joints are the points where two or more bones meet. They are classified based on their structure and movement: fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial. Fibrous joints (e.g., sutures in the skull) are immovable, cartilaginous joints (e.g., intervertebral discs) allow some movement, and synovial joints (e.g., knee) allow free movement.

The head region, divided into two parts: the cranial region (surrounding the brain) and the facial region.

The constriction following the head, connecting it to the thorax.

The upper part of the trunk, containing the heart and lungs. It is separated from the abdomen by the diaphragm.

The lower part of the trunk, containing abdominal organs.

The lower part of the abdomen, forming the pelvic cavity.

The upper limb attached to the thorax, including the shoulder region, arm, forearm, and hand.

The diaphragm divides the thoracic cavity, containing the heart and lungs, from the abdominal cavity below it.

Protected by the skull, the cranial cavity houses the brain, the control center of the body.

The vertebral canal runs through the vertebral column, which is like the spine, and encloses the spinal cord.

The oral cavity is where the teeth and tongue are located, starting the process of digestion.

The sagittal plane cuts the body vertically into right and left sections.

The coronal plane cuts the body vertically into front and back sections.

The transverse plane cuts the body horizontally into upper and lower sections.

The anterior surface of the hand; the opposite surface is dorsal.

The surface of the foot that touches the ground; the opposite surface is dorsal.

A movement that brings the ventral (anterior) surfaces of a limb closer together.

A movement that moves the ventral (anterior) surfaces of a limb further apart.

A movement that turns the anterior surface of a limb towards the midline of the body.

A movement that turns the anterior surface of a limb away from the midline of the body.

A movement that involves sequential flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction, causing the distal end of a limb to move in a circle.

A movement that moves a limb towards the midline of the body.