This document introduces anatomical terminology used to describe the orientation, regions, and structures of the human body. It begins by defining the anatomical position as standing erect with feet parallel and palms facing forward. It then describes common directional terms like anterior, posterior, sagittal, frontal, and transverse. It also defines major body landmarks, cavities, and planes used to section the body. Finally, it details the regions and quadrants used to localize structures within the abdominopelvic cavity.

1. The Language of Anatomy
GIDEON ROBERT UNIVERSITY
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
NSWANA CHING’AMBU

2. • Know
• Orientation & directional terms
• Body landmarks
• Body planes & sections
• Body cavities
• Abdominopelvic regions
• Abdominopelvic quadrants
Introduction

3. • Special terminology is used to prevent
misunderstanding
• Exact terms are used for:
• Position
• Direction
• Regions
• Structures
Introduction

4. • Anatomical position
• Standing erect
• Feet parallel
• Arms hanging at the sides
• Palms facing forward
• Anatomical position – body is erect with the feet parallel
and the arms hanging at the sides with the palms facing
forward
• It’s important to note throughout this course
• Most terminology refers to this position regardless of the position
the body happens to be in at the time
Introduction

5. Orientation and Directional Terms
Table 1.1

6. Orientation and Directional Terms

7. • There are many visible landmarks on the surface
of the body:
• Anterior body landmarks
• Posterior body landmarks
Regional Terms

8. Body Landmarks
• Anterior

9. Body Landmarks
• Posterior

10. • A section is a cut made along a plane
• Sagittal
• Cut made along the lengthwise or vertical plane of the body
dividing it into left and right parts
• Midsagittal (median) plane
• Right and left parts are of equal size
• Frontal (coronal) plane
• Cut made along a lengthwise (vertical) plane that divides the
body into anterior and posterior parts
• Transverse plane (cross section)
• Cut made along a horizontal plane dividing the body or organ into
superior and inferior parts
Body Planes & Sections

11. Body Planes

12. • There are two sets of internal body
cavities called the dorsal and ventral
body cavities.
• These cavities are closed to the outside
1. Dorsal Body Cavity
• Protects the fragile nervous system
organs
• Has two subdivisions; the cranial cavity,
in the skull, encases the brain and the
vertebral, or spinal, cavity, which runs
within the bony vertebral column,
encloses the delicate spinal cord
• The cranial and spinal cavities are
continuous with one another
Body Cavities

13. 2. Ventral Body Cavity
• The more anterior and larger of the closed
body cavities
• It has two major subdivisions, thoracic and
abdominopelvic cavities
• It houses internal organs collectively called
the viscera
• They are separated by diaphragm, a dome-
shaped muscle important in breathing
• The abdominopelvic cavity, as its name
suggests, has two parts not physically
separated by a muscular or membrane wall
• The inferior part, pelvic cavity, lies in the
bony pelvis
Body Cavities

14. Abdominopelvic
Major Organs

15. • Because the abdominopelvic cavity is large and contains several
organs, it helps to divide it into smaller areas for study
• One division method used primarily by anatomists, uses two
transverse and two parasagittal planes. These planes, divide the
cavity into nine regions
1. Epigastric region - located superior to the umbilical region (epi = upon,
above; gastri = belly)
2. Hypochondriac regions (right and left) - flank the epigastric region
laterally (chondro = cartilage)
3. Umbilical region - the centermost region deep to and surrounding the
umbilicus (navel)
4. Lumbar regions (right and left) - lie lateral to the umbilical region
(lumbus = loin)
5. Hypogastric (pubic) region - located inferior to the umbilical region
(hypo = below)
6. Inguinal or iliac regions (right and left) - located lateral to the
hypogastric region (iliac = superior part of the hip bone)
Abdominopelvic Regions

16. Abdominopelvic Regions

17. • A simpler scheme to localize the
abdominopelvic cavity organs is to
imagine one transverse and one
median sagittal plane pass through
the umbilicus at right angles
• Four quadrants are formed
1. Right upper quadrant (RUQ)
2. Left upper quadrant (LUQ)
3. Right lower quadrant (RLQ)
4. Left lower quadrant (LLQ)
Abdominopelvic Quadrants