Body Planes and Directional

Body Planes and DirectionalTerms

Why is it important for health care workers to knowAnatomical terms?To care for clients, you must be able toIdentify areas of the bodyFor treatments, injections,Or diagnoses

Anatomical PositionAnatomical position means that the body is standing erect, facing forward with the arms at the sides and the palms facing forward.

Medical Terms Associated with Directionsanterior.frontcaudal.tail, (downward)cephalic....head, (upward)distalaway (from the point of reference)dorsal..backinferior.... belowlateral..side

medialmiddleposterior.back, behindproximalnear(the point of reference)superior..aboveventralbelly (front)

Body CavitiesThe body has 2 main cavities:Dorsal cavity (back).Ventral cavity (front).

Pelvic cavityAbdominal cavityDiaphragmThoracic cavityCranial cavityDorsal cavityVentral cavitySpinalcavityDorsal CavityLocated on the posterior (dorsal) side of the body It consists of 2 cavities

Cranial Cavity - The bones of the skull create the cranial cavity to protect the brainSpinal (vertebral) Cavity -Formed by the vertebrae of the spine that surrounds the spinal cord.

Ventral Cavity Ventral Cavity located on the anterior/ventral side of the body. It is made up of three cavities. Two are divided by the diaphragm.

Thoracic Cavity This is the portion of the Ventral Cavity superior to the diaphragm.It contains the heart, lungs and major vessels

Abdominal CavityLocated inferior to the diaphragm. It includes the following organs:StomachSpleenLiverGallbladderpancreasSmall intestineMost of the large intestine

Pelvic CavityThe pelvic cavity is surrounded by the pelvic bones. The pelvic cavity contains:Urinary bladder male and female reproductive organs Parts of the digestive system

Planes of the body

Body planes are imaginary lines that divide the body into sections

Midsagittal plane divides the body into equal right and left sides.sagittal plane divides the body into 2 parts, right and left.Frontal or coronal plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sections.Transverse plane divides the body horizontally into a top, or superior, part and a bottom, or inferior, part.

Planes of the bodyInferior

MidsagittalTransverseFrontalSuperiorAnteriorLateralPosteriorDistalProximalMedialMidsagittal Plane

Divides body into equal right & left halves.

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

Divides body into front & back portions

Transverse Plane

Divides body into upper & lower portions.

Abdominal QuadrantsThe abdominal/pelvic cavity is so large that it is divided into regionsOne method of division is quadrants. Quadrants divide the abdominal/pelvic cavity into four sections using the belly button as the point of reference for both the horizontal and vertical lines

Abdominal RegionsA more precise method of division is abdominal regions. This method divides the area into a tic tac toe boardEpigastric above the stomachUmbilical - near the belly buttonHypogastric below the stomachHypochondriac below the ribsLumbar/Lateral in between the hypocondriac and iliacIliac/inguinal near the groin