Anatomy Basics

Overview

Anatomy is the study of the structure and organization of living things, including their systems, organs, and tissues.

Levels of Organization

• Chemical level: atoms and molecules
• Tissue level: groups of similar cells
• Organ level: structures composed of multiple tissues
• Organ system level: groups of organs working together
• Organismal level: the entire living thing

Body Regions

• Cranial region: head and skull
• Facial region: face
• Neck region: neck
• Thoracic region: chest
• Abdominal region: abdomen
• Pelvic region: pelvis
• Upper limb region: arms
• Lower limb region: legs
• Back region: back

Body Cavities

• Cranial cavity: contains the brain
• Thoracic cavity: contains the heart and lungs
• Abdominal cavity: contains digestive organs
• Pelvic cavity: contains reproductive organs and urinary bladder

Directional Terms

• Anterior (front)
• Posterior (back)
• Superior (above)
• Inferior (below)
• Medial (toward the midline)
• Lateral (away from the midline)
• Proximal (close to the attachment)
• Distal (far from the attachment)

Anatomical Position

• Feet shoulder-width apart
• Toes pointing forward
• Arms at sides
• Palms facing forward
• Head, eyes, and toes facing forward

Anatomical Planes

• Sagittal plane: divides the body into left and right halves
• Frontal plane: divides the body into anterior and posterior halves
• Transverse plane: divides the body into superior and inferior halves

Learn the fundamental concepts of anatomy, including levels of organization, body regions, body cavities, directional terms, anatomical position, and anatomical planes.