general introduction of anatomy

1. Introduction to Anatomy
Dr. Subina Gautam
MS. Clinical Anatomy

2. Course matter
• Explain the body as a whole
• Explain anatomical position of the body,
organs and cavities.

3. General concepts: Anatomy
• Anatomy is the study of the structure of the
body
• One of the oldest basic medical sciences
• Anatome (Greek)= cutting up/ taking apart

4. Subdivisions of Anatomy
• Gross Anatomy
– Regional anatomy
– Systemic anatomy
– Surface anatomy
– Radiological anatomy
• Neuroanatomy
• Histology
• Embryology
• Medical Genetics
• Comparative anatomy
• Anatomy of variations

5. Important anatomical terms
Anatomical position
• It is the standard reference position of the body used to
describe location of structures
The body is in the anatomical position when
• standing upright with feet together, hands by the side
and face looking forward
• mouth closed and the facial expression neutral
•eyes open and focused on something in the distance
•palms face forward with the fingers straight and
together and with the pad of the thumb turned 90° to
the pads of the fingers
•The toes point forward

6. Front Side Back

7. Anatomical planes
1. Coronal planes: oriented vertically, divide the body into
anterior and posterior parts.
2. Sagittal planes: oriented vertically, at right angles to the
coronal planes, divide the body into right and left parts. The
plane that passes through the center of the body dividing it
into equal right and left halves is termed the median sagittal
plane.
3. Transverse, horizontal, or axial planes divide the body into
superior and inferior parts.

8. •Terms to describe location
Anterior (or ventral) and posterior (or dorsal): 'front' and
'back' of the body.
o For example, the nose is an anterior (ventral) structure
whereas the vertebral column is a posterior (dorsal)
structure. Also, the nose is anterior to the ears and the
vertebral column is posterior to the sternum.
Medial and lateral describe the position of structures relative
to the median sagittal plane and the sides of the body.
o For example, the thumb is lateral to the little finger. The
nose is in the median sagittal plane and is medial to the
eyes, which are in turn medial to the ears.

12. •Superior and inferior (cranial and caudal) describe
structures in reference to the vertical axis of the body. Eg.
head is superior to the shoulders and the knee joint is inferior
to the hip joint
•Proximal and distal are used with reference to being closer
or farther from a structure's origin, particularly in the limbs.
o For example, the hand is distal to the elbow joint. The
shoulder joint is proximal to the elbow joint.
o These terms are also used to describe the relative
positions of branches along the course of linear structures,
such as airways, vessels, and nerves.
o Eg. The distal branches occur farther away towards the
ends of the system whereas proximal branches occur
closer and towards the origin of the system.

13. Superficial and Deep- are used to describe the
relative positions of two structures with respect
to the surface of the body. Eg. The sternum is
superficial to the heart, the stomach is deep to
the abdominal wall
Plantar and Palmar surfaces: In relation to sole
and palm respectively

15. Terminologies regarding movement at joints
•Flexion: Decrease in angle of the joint while movement
•Extension: Increase in angle of the joint while movement
•Flexor surface: comes close during flexion
•Extensor surface: opposite to flexor surface
(These surfaces are different in upper and lower limb)
•Abduction: moving away from median plane
•Adduction: moving toward median plane
•Eversion: plantar surface turning laterally
•Inversion: plantar surface turning medially

16. Terms related to movement
• Flexion/ extension/ lateral flexion
• Dorsiflexion/plantarflexion
• Abduction/ adduction
• circumduction
• Medial rotation/ lateral rotation

17. Terms related to position
• Medial/ lateral
• Anterior/ posterior
• Ventral, palmar, plantar/ dorsal
• Superior/ inferior
• Proximal/ distal
• Cephalic, cranial/ caudal

18. Terms related to position (contd..)
• Superficial/ intermediate/ deep
• External / internal
• Ipsilateral/ contralateral
• Supine/ prone
• Invagination/ evagination

19. Diagrams demonstrating different
movements

23. Elevation of
shoulders
Depression of
shoulders

24. Lateral rotation
Medial rotation

25. Adduction
Abduction
Adduction
Abduction

26. Protrusion
Retrusion

27. Supination
Pronation

28. Organization of human body

29. Body cavities
• Cranial cavity
• Vertebral cavity
• Thoracic cavity
o Pericardial cavity
o Pleural cavity
• Abdominal cavity
• Pelvic cavity

30. Contents of the body cavities
• Cranial: Brain, meninges
• Vertebral: Spinal cord
• Pericardial: Heart
• Pleural: Lungs
• Abdominal: Stomach, intestines, liver, spleen
• Pelvic: urinary bladder, uterus, prostate

31. Body Regions
• Human body is partitioned into 2 main
regions:
 Axial region includes head, neck, and trunk
which comprise main vertical axis of our
body
 Our limbs, or appendages, and limb girdles
attach to the body’s axis and make up
appendicular region

32. • Cephalic region: head
• Facial region: face
• Cervical region: neck
• Nuchal region: back of
neck
• Thoracic region: chest
• Abdominal region:
abdomen
• Inguinal region: groin
• Pubic region: external
genitalia
• Vertebral region: over
spine
• Interscapular region:
between scapula
• Perineal region: between
genitalia and anus
Axial region of body

33. Appendicular region of body
• Gluteal region: buttocks
• Scapular region: over shoulder girdle
• Axillary region: armpits
• Brachial region: arm
• Cubital region: elbow
• Antebrachial region: forearm
• Femoral region: thigh
• Crural region: leg

34. Nine regions of abdomen
Left
hypochondrium
Right
hypochondrium
Right Lumbar Left Lumbar
Left Iliac
fossa
Right Iliac
fossa
Epigastrium
Hypogastriu
m
Umbilical

35. Quadrants of abdomen
Right Upper
Quadrant
Left Upper
Quadrant
Left Lower
Quadrant
Right Lower
Quadrant

36. Body cavities-Contents
• Cranial: Brain, meninges
• Vertebral: Spinal cord
• Pericardial: Heart
• Pleural: Lungs
• Abdominal: Stomach, intestines,
liver, spleen
• Pelvic: Urinary bladder, uterus,
prostate

37. Body cavities

38. THANK YOU!