Anatomical Terminology

Question 1

Describe the anatomical position?

Answer 1

Standing upright and facing forward.
Upper limbs hang at either side, and the palms face forward.
The feet are parallel to one another, and the toes point anteriorly.

Question 2

What is the anatomical position?

Answer 2

A standard universal body reference position for all relational terms.

Question 3

What is the (sagittal) mid sagittal / median plane?

Answer 3

A vertical plane that passes longitudinally through the body’s centre. Cuts the body into left and right halves

Question 4

What is coronal/ frontal plane?

Answer 4

vertical plane that divides body into front section (anterior) and back section (posterior)

Question 5

What is transverse plane?

Answer 5

Horizontal line that divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) sections.

Question 6

What is oblique plane?

Answer 6

Does not align with other planes

Question 7

Meaning of anterior?

Answer 7

Also known as ventral - refers to the front

Question 8

Meaning of posterior?

Answer 8

Also known as dorsal- refers to the back.

Question 9

Meaning of medial?

Answer 9

means towards the midline

Question 10

Meaning of lateral?

Answer 10

away from the midline

Question 11

Meaning of superior?

Answer 11

Also known as cranial- closer to the head

Question 12

Meaning of inferior?

Answer 12

Also known as caudal - closer to feet

Question 13

Meaning of proximal?

Answer 13

The termsproximalanddistalare used in structures that areconsidered to have a beginning and an end.
proximal means closer to its origin

Question 14

Meaning of distal?

Answer 14

The termsproximalanddistalare used in structures that areconsidered to have a beginning and an end.
distal means further away.

Question 15

What is unilateral and bilateral?

Answer 15

Involving one side of the body and both sides of the body.

Question 16

What is ipsilateral and contralateral?

Answer 16

on same side of body and opposite sides of body.

Question 17

What is parietal and visceral?

Answer 17

Relating to a body cavity wall and Relating to organs

Question 18

What is left and right based off?

Answer 18

patients left and right

Question 19

what does prone mean?

Answer 19

lying on stomach

Question 20

what does supine/ recumbent mean?

Answer 20

lying on back

Question 21

what does trunk mean?

Answer 21

body minus the four limbs

Question 22

what is the median?

Answer 22

midline of body/structure

Question 23

what is superficial?

Answer 23

nearer the surface of the body or structure

Question 24

What is deep/internal?

Answer 24

further from the surface or body structure

Question 25

What is included in upper limb?

Answer 25

Shoulder Arm: shoulder to elbow Forearm: elbow to wrist Wrist Hand

Question 26

What is included in lower limb?

Answer 26

Gluteal region Thigh: Gluteal region to knee Leg: Knee to ankle Ankle Foot

Question 27

Opp of flexion?

Answer 27

extension

Question 28

Opp of abduction?

Answer 28

Adduction

Question 29

Opp of medial rotation?

Answer 29

Lateral rotation

Question 30

What is circumduction?

Answer 30

movement of body region in circular manner. Combination of flexion,extension,abduction and adduction. Appendage describes a cone.

Question 31

What is opp of pronation?

Answer 31

supination

Question 32

Opp of elevation?

Answer 32

depression

Question 33

What is opp of protraction?

Answer 33

retraction

Question 34

What is opp of dorsiflexion?

Answer 34

plantarflexion

Question 35

Describe flexion and extension?

Answer 35

Flexion refers to bending forwards or anteriorly, reducing the anterior angle, creating flexion. Extension refers to bending backwards and increasing the anterior angle, creating the extension.

Question 36

Describe abduction and adduction?

Answer 36

Movements towards (adduction) or away (abduction) from the midline of the body.

Question 37

Describe lateral and medial rotation?

Answer 37

Internal rotation movement towards the midline creates a medial rotation. External Rotation movement away from the midline of the body creates lateral rotation.

Question 38

Describe supination and pronation?

Answer 38

Refers only to the forearm Occur at at radio-ulnar joints Supination- radius parallel with ulna pronation-radius rotates over ulna

Question 39

(Scapula movement) What is elevation?

Answer 39

movement in a superior direction e.g. shoulder shrug

Question 40

(Scapula movement) What is depression?

Answer 40

movement in an inferior direction

Question 41

(Scapula movement) What is protraction?

Answer 41

Forward movement of the shoulder

Question 42

(Scapula movement) What is retraction?

Answer 42

backward movement of the shoulder

Question 43

What is dorsiflexion and plantarflexion?

Answer 43

Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion are terms used to describe movements at the ankle

Question 44

What is the dorsum of the foot?

Answer 44

is the superior surface of foot

Question 45

What is the plantar surface of the foot?

Answer 45

the sole

Question 46

What is dorsiflexion?

Answer 46

backwards -bending motion of the dorsum of the foot so that the foot points more superiorly.

Question 47

What is plantarflexion?

Answer 47

flexion of the ankle/foot so that the plantar surface of the foot points inferiorly.

Question 48

What are inversion and eversion?

Answer 48

Inversion and eversion are movements of the foot, referring to the rotation of the foot around its long axis. (Does not involve the ankle joint but rather small joints of the foot below the ankle joint).

Question 49

What is inversion?

Answer 49

Inversion involves the movement of the sole towards the median plane – so that the sole faces in a medial direction.

Question 50

What is eversion?

Answer 50

Eversion involves the movement of the sole away from the median plane – so that the sole faces in a lateral direction.

Question 51

Looking at a transverse CT/MRI scan?

Answer 51

These scans are always viewed as if you are standing at the foot of the patient’s bed. The patient’s feet are nearest you, and their head is furthest from you. Thus, the patient’s right side is on your left side and vice versa.