The human body is organized into two main sections - the axial skeleton and appendicular skeleton. Each section contains cavities that house organs. The axial skeleton contains the cranial cavity for the brain, vertebral canal for the spinal cord, thoracic cavity for the heart and lungs, and abdominopelvic cavity for digestive and urinary organs. The abdominopelvic cavity is further divided into 9 regions. Anatomical terms like superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior are used to describe body positioning.

1. Anatomical
Positions
Advanced Biology
Class Notes
Mrs. Morgan

2. Human Body
Organization
• Human Body is organized into 2 main
sections
– Each section has cavities which house
organs
• Viscera: organs within a cavity

3. Body Sections
Axial Skeleton:
head, neck and trunk
Appendicular Skeleton:
upper and lower limbs

4. Body Cavities
The Axial Skeleton is made up of 4 cavities
Cranial cavity -
houses the brain
Vertebral canal -
houses the spinal
cord

5. Body Cavities
Thoracic cavity - above
the diaphragm (houses
heart and lungs)
Abdominopelvic cavity -
below the diaphragm
(houses digestive/urinary
organs)

6. Abdominopelvic Cavity
This cavity is
broken into 9
regions
shown at right

7. Types of Body Cavities
• Open cavities: open to the outside
environment, lined with mucous
membrane
– Examples: digestive and respiratory
• Closed cavities: do not open to the
outside, lined with serous membranes
– Example: cavities with heart, liver, etc.

8. Anatomical Positioning
Correct anatomical
positioning of a body is
as follows:
• standing upright
• facing forward
• arms at the side
• palms facing upward

9. Anatomical Terminology
• Common terms used to describe the
positioning of body parts
• Superior - above
• Inferior - below
• Anterior - in front of
• Posterior - behind

10. More anatomical
Positioning
• Proximal - closer to the middle
• Distal - further from the middle
• Medial - toward the middle
• Lateral - to the side
– Ipsilateral: on the same side
– Contralateral: on the opposite side

11. More Anatomical
Positioning
• Superficial - on the surface
• Deep - below the surface
This is deep
(yuck, internal
rat organs!)

12. Body Sections
Sagittal Section - lengthwise
cut dividing the body into
right and left halves
Transverse Section -
crosswise cut dividing the
body into inferior and
superior portions
Coronal Section - frontwise cut
dividing the body into
anterior and posterior
portions