Anatomical Positions and Planes Quiz

Erect Anatomical Position: Standard position for describing anatomy. The body stands erect, eyes forward, arms hanging by the sides with palms facing forward, thumbs lateral.
Supine: Body lies on its back.
Prone: Body lies on its face.
Lateral Decubitus: Body lies on its side (right or left).
Lithotomy: Body lies on its back with hip and knee flexion and hip abduction.

Median (Sagittal): Vertical plane dividing the body longitudinally into equal right and left halves.
Paramedian: Vertical plane parallel to the median plane, but not in the middle line, thus dividing the body into unequal vertical parts.
Coronal (Frontal): Vertical plane dividing the body into anterior and posterior parts.
Horizontal: Transverse plane running horizontally, dividing the body into upper and lower parts at any level.

Thermal Insulator: Prevents heat loss from the body.
Energy Storage: Holds fat.
Conducts Structures: Facilitates the passage of cutaneous nerves, blood vessels, and lymphatics.
Contains Muscles: Holds subcutaneous muscles like those of facial expressions, neck, and scrotum.
Contains Glands: Holds mammary glands, sweat glands, and superficial lymph nodes.
Softens Surface: Smoothens the body surface.

A thin layer of connective tissue surrounding individual organs within cavities.
Supports and protects internal organs.
Helps to hold organs in position.

Matrix: Clear and glassy appearance because it is rich in collagen fibers.
Sites: Articular surfaces of joints, nose, trachea, larynx, and costal cartilages.
Ossification in Old Age: Occurs but not as readily as white fibrocartilage.

Shape: Provides the body's specific shape.
Axis: Forms the central axis and skeleton of limbs.
Protection: Shields vital organs (skull for the brain, thoracic cage for heart and lungs).
Muscle Attachment: Provides surface area for muscles.
Leverage: Acts as levers for muscle contraction and movement.
Weight Transmission: Transmits weight (e.g., from head to feet).
Joint Formation: Essential component of the locomotor system.
Blood Production: Contains red bone marrow, the site of blood cell formation.
Mineral Storage: Stores calcium and phosphorus salts.

By Position:
- Axial: Skull, mandible, hyoid, sternum, ribs, and vertebral column (head, neck, and trunk).
- Appendicular: Upper and lower limbs.
By Structure:
- Compact (Hard): Outer hard layer covering bone surfaces.
- Cancellous (Spongy): Network of trabeculae inside compact bone with spaces filled with bone marrow.
By Shape:
- Long: Two ends (epiphyses) and a shaft (diaphysis) in between (upper and lower limbs).
- Short: Spongy bone covered with thin compact bone (e.g., carpals and tarsals).
- Flat: Two thin compact bone plates with a middle layer of spongy bone (e.g., skull, scapula, sternum, ribs).
- Pneumatic: Bones containing air cavities (e.g., skull bones around the nose).
- Irregular: Bones with irregular shapes and projections (e.g., vertebrae).
- Sesamoid: Small nodules embedded in tendons (e.g., patella).
- Sutural: Small bones embedded in skull sutures.

Length: Increases from the epiphyseal cartilages by cell proliferation.
Fusion: Epiphyseal plate ossifies with maturity, fusing epiphysis and diaphysis.
Growing End: One end of the shaft (long bone) continues to add bone longer than the other, which is considered the growing end.
Hormonal Control: Fusion of epiphysis and diaphysis is hormonally regulated.
Width: Increases from osteoblasts in the periosteum and osteoclasts in the endosteum.

Male: Bones are heavy and thick.
Female: Bones are light and thin.
Muscle Attachment: Prominent tubercles, tuberosities, and ridges are more prominent in males than females.