Medical Terminology Directional/Positional Terms

Question 1

What is the anatomical position?

Answer 1

The anatomical position refers to the human body as erect (standing), facing forward with eyes straight ahead, arms at the sides with palms open and facing forward, and feet parallel and flat on the floor.

Question 2

Which plane divides the body into front and back sections?

Answer 2

Frontal/Coronal plane

Question 3

Which plane divides the body into left and right sides in a vertical lengthwise fashion?

Answer 3

Sagittal plane

Question 4

Which plane divides the body into right and left equal sections?

Answer 4

Median/Midsagittal plane.

This imaginary line is the midline of the body

Question 5

Which plane divides the body into top and bottom sections?

Answer 5

Transverse horizontal plane

A horizontal plane situated at right angles to the long axis, or sagittal and coronal planes; placed crosswise.

Question 6

What are the three ventral cavities?

Answer 6

Ventral cavities contain organs on the front side of the body. They are the Thoracic, Abdominal, and Pelvic cavities.

Question 7

What are the two dorsal cavities?

Answer 7

Dorsal cavities contain organs on the back side of the body. They are the Cranial and Spinal cavities.

Question 8

What are the five vertebral divisions of the of the back/spinal column?

Answer 8

Cervical vertebrae (C1 - C7)
Thoracic vertebrae (T1 - T12)
Lumbar vertebrae (L1 - L5)
Sacrum
Coccyx

Question 9

Medial

Answer 9

Pertaining to the middle; closer to the midline of a body; pertaining to the middle layer.

Question 10

Lateral

Answer 10

Pertaining to the side; denoting a position farther from the midline (median plane) of a structure.

Question 11

Distal

Answer 11

Remote; farther from the center of the body or point of attachment to the body; opposite of proximal. (The elbow is distal to the shoulder, but proximal to the wrist.)

Question 12

Proximal

Answer 12

Nearest; closer to the center of the body or point of attachment to the body; opposite of distal. (The elbow is distal to the shoulder but proximal to the wrist.)

Question 13

Supine

Answer 13

lying horizontally on the back, face up

Question 14

Prone

Answer 14

lying face down on the abdomen

Question 15

Supination

Answer 15

opposite of pronation. Rotating the palm forward/anteriorly. Can also refer to the outward roll of the foot during normal motion.

Question 16

Pronation

Answer 16

Rotating the palm backwards/posteriorly. Can also refer to the inward roll of the foot during normal motion and occurs as the outer edge of the heel strikes the ground and the foot rolls inward and flattens out.

Question 17

Plantar

Answer 17

of, relating to, or typical of the sole of the foot. the plantar aspect of the foot.

Question 18

Posterior

Answer 18

Situated in the back; also used in reference to the back or dorsal surface of the body.

Question 19

Ventral

Answer 19

Pertaining to the abdomen; used to denote a position that is more toward the belly/abdominal surface than some other object of reference.

Question 20

Superior

Answer 20

Situated above, or directed upward; in official anatomic nomenclature, used in reference to the upper surface of an organ or other structure, or to a structure occupying a higher position.

Question 21

Inferior

Answer 21

Situated below a structure or directed downward; also used to denote the lower portion of an organ or the lower of two structures.

Question 22

Cranial

Answer 22

aka. Superior

above or upward toward the head

Question 23

Caudal

Answer 23

aka. Inferior

Question 24

Inferior

Answer 24

Situated below a structure or directed downward; also used to denote the lower portion of an organ or the lower of two structures.

Question 25

Coronal

Answer 25

Division of the body into anterior and posterior sections. Also called frontal plane. Can mean pertaining to the head or the crown

Question 26

Caudal

Answer 26

aka. Inferior

Situated below a structure or directed downward

Question 27

Deep (internal)

Answer 27

Situated further inward, away from the surface.

Question 28

Midline

Answer 28

the Median/Midsagittal plane

Question 29

Flexion

Answer 29

Bending motion of joint at an angle that decreases the distance between two bones. (Bending your knee/elbow)

Question 30

Extension

Answer 30

Bending motion of joint at an angle that increases the distance between two bones. (Straightening your arm/leg)

Question 31

Hyperextension

Answer 31

Extending a joint beyond its normal anatomical position

Question 32

Abduction

Answer 32

Moving arm away from the body/midline

Question 33

Adduction

Answer 33

Moving arm towards the body/midline

Question 34

Circumduction

Answer 34

A combination of different types of joint movements that allows a joint (like the shoulder) to move in a circular motion while still keeping the joint relatively stable.