Chapter 3 - Body Terminology

Question 1

anterior or ventral

Answer 1

front or direction toward the front of the body

Question 2

posterior or dorsal

Answer 2

back or the direction toward the back of the body

Question 3

superior or cranial

Answer 3

position above or higher than another part of the body proper

Question 4

inferior or caudal

Answer 4

position below or lower than another part of the body proper; near or toward the tail

Question 5

lateral

Answer 5

side or direction toward the side of the body

Question 6

medial

Answer 6

the middle or direction toward the middle of the body

Question 7

proximal

Answer 7

position in a limb that is nearer to the point of attachment of the trunk of the body

Question 8

distal

Answer 8

position in a limb that is farther from the point of attachment or the trunk of the body

Question 9

superficial

Answer 9

position closer to the surface of the body

Question 10

deep

Answer 10

position farther from the surface of the body

Question 11

sagittal plane

Answer 11

divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides

Question 12

frontal plane or coronal plane

Answer 12

divides the body or an organ into an anterior (front) portion and posterior (rear) portion

Question 13

transverse plane

Answer 13

divides the body or organ horizontally into upper and lower portions

Question 14

posterior (dorsal) cavity

Answer 14

cranial and spinal cavity

Question 15

cranial cavity

Answer 15

houses the brain; protected by the bones of the skulls and cerebrospinal fluid

Question 16

spinal cavity or vertebral cavity

Answer 16

encloses the spinal cord; protected by the vertebral column

Question 17

anterior (ventral) cavity

Answer 17

thoracic and abdominopelvic cavity

Question 18

thoracic cavity

Answer 18

more superior subdivision and enclosed by the rib cage; contains the lungs and heart; diaphragm forms the floor and separates it from inferior cavity

Question 19

abdominopelvic cavity

Answer 19

largest cavity in the body; no membrane divides the cavity; houses digestive organs, the pelvic cavity, and reproductive organs

Question 20

connective tissue membrane

Answer 20

formed solely from connective tissue; encapsulate organs and line movable joints

Question 21

synovial membrane

Answer 21

type of connective tissue membrane that lines the cavity of a freely movable joint

Question 22

epithelial membrane

Answer 22

composed of epithelium attached to a layer of connective tissue

Question 23

mucous membrane

Answer 23

composite of connective and epithelial tissues; line the body cavities and hollow passageways that open to the external environment

Question 24

serous membrane

Answer 24

line the coelomic cavities and cover the organs located within those cavities

Question 25

parietal layers

Answer 25

line the walls of the body cavity

Question 26

visceral layer

Answer 26

covers the organs (the viscera)

Question 27

serous space

Answer 27

very thin, fluid filled space between the parietal and visceral layers

Question 28

pleura

Answer 28

surrounds the lungs in the pleural cavity and reduces friction between the lungs and the body wall

Question 29

pericardium

Answer 29

surrounds the heart in the pericardial cavity and reduces friction between the heart and the wall of the pericardium

Question 30

peritoneum

Answer 30

surrounds several organs in the abdominopelvic cavity and reduces friction between the abdominal and pelvic organs and the body wall

Question 31

anatomical position

Answer 31

body standing upright, feet shoulder width and parallel, toes forward, upper limbs held out to each side, and palms of hands face forward

Question 32

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 32

a colorless fluid produced by the brain that cushions the brain and spinal cord within the posterior (dorsal) cavity

Question 33

coelomic

Answer 33

cavities that do not open to the outside

Question 34

cutaneous membrane

Answer 34

epithelial tissue made up of stratified squamous epithelial cells that cover the outside of the body; skin

Question 35

prone

Answer 35

a face-down orientation

Question 36

supine

Answer 36

a face-up orientation