Where, Why, and What?

Objectives

• Identify and recognize body planes, positional terms, directional terms and body cavities

The Plane Truth

• Planes are imaginary lines that are used to descriptively divide the body into sections

• Midsagittal is the plane that divides the body into equal right and left halves• Also called the median plane and midline

• Sagittal is the plane the divides the body into unequal halves

The Plane Truth cont…

• Dorsal- (or frontal) plane that divides the body into back and belly parts

• Transverse- plane that divides the body into head and tail parts• Also called cross-sectional plane

Directional Terms

• Anterior- means front of the body for organs or body parts• Front and rear are confusing

• Posterior- means rear of the body or behind

Directional Terms

• Ventral- refers to the belly or underside of a body

• Dorsal- refers to the back• Cranial- means toward the head• Caudal- means toward the tail• Rostral- towards the nose

Dorsal

Ventral

Cranial Caudal

Directional Terms

• Medial- towards the midline• Lateral- away from the midline• Superior- means uppermost, above or toward

head• Inferior- means lowermost, below or toward tail

Directional Terms

• Proximal- means nearest midline or beginning of a structure

• Distal- means farthest away from midline or beginning of a structure

• Superficial- near surface, external• Deep- away from midline, internal• Palmar- bottom of front foot or hoof• Plantar- bottom of back foot or hoof

Body Cavities

• A body cavity is a hole or hollow space within the body that protects internal organs

• Cranial cavity is in the head• Spinal cavity is the spinal column• Thoracic cavity is the chest cavity• Abdominal cavity is the between the diaphragm and

pelvis• Pelvic cavity is in the pelvis

Movement

• Adduction- means to move toward the midline• Abduction- means to move away from the midline• Flexion- means to bend a joint or reduce the angle

between two bones• Extension- means to straighten a joint or increase the

angle• Hyperflexion/extension- when a joint is flexed or

extended too far

Lying Around

• Recumbent is the medical term for lying down• Dorsal recumbency- lying on the back• Ventral recumbency- lying on the stomach• Lateral recumbency- lying on the side