Human Anatomy 101 - Anatomical Terminology (Basic)
G’day team,
Preamble (skip for the good stuff)
So today I thought I’d begin a project I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Over the coming weeks and months, I plan to write a series of posts covering human anatomy. I’ll do two posts for each topic covered, one that covers the real basics and another that delves into much more detail.
An Introduction to Anatomical Terminology
So let’s get started!
The first step in learning about human anatomy is learning how we talk about human anatomy. Unfortunately the study of human anatomy, historically, is the result of the convergence of two very different fields. The first is the study of animal anatomy and the associated field of taxonomy, the second is the fields of medicine and surgery.
Because the early forms of these fields did not always communicate (I mean, they’re scientists after all) we have been left with a hodgepodge of anatomical terms that can be confusing for anyone unfamiliar with the system.
So let’s get into it!
Anatomical Position
When we speak about anatomy we need to make sure that everyone in the conversation is visualizing the person (subject) in the same position, to avoid confusion. As such we have a standard ‘anatomical position’ (below) that is used worldwide. The person is standing, with legs slightly apart, hands are at their sides and (most importantly) their palms are facing forward.
Directions
Front and Back
Anterior - Refers to the front of the body
Posterior - Refers to the back of the body
Example: “The nose is anterior to the ears” or “The heel is posterior to the toes”
Up and Down
Superior - Up (towards the head)
Interior - Down (towards the feet)
Example: “The head is superior to the shoulder” or “The Hips are inferior to the chest”
Left and Right
Left - Left
Right - Right
;)
Planes
Down the Centre
Sagittal Plane - If we split the body down the center, separating the left from the right, we create a sagittal plane
Through the Middle
Transverse Plane - If we split the body, separating the top of our body from the bottom, we create a transverse plane
Across the Body
Frontal Plane - if we split the body separating the front (anterior) from the back (posterior), we create a frontal plane
All Together
Image source
Relative Terms
Well done! Most of the terms that are actually used have already been covered above, and if you take an active interest in anatomy you’ll quickly learn to use these terms as easily as you breathe. But when we’re describing one anatomical feature, relative to another, then we come to rely on relative terms heavily.
Let’s start with a really simple example! Describe where the elbow is relative to the wrist?
If you remember from above that when we talk about anatomy we always assume that our subject is in anatomical position, then your answer should be the wrist is superior to the elbow. And this is true! But in practice we can’t always rely on our subjects (or patients) to stay in anatomical position, and having some terms that allow us to compare the position of two parts of anatomy helps us speak fluently.
So let’s learn these terms
Far and Near
Distal - Further from the center of the body
Proximal - Nearer to the center of the body
These terms are usually used when describing features of the limbs, as they do not generally apply to the trunk
Example: “The elbow is distal to the shoulder” or “The knee is proximal to the ankle”
Exterior and Interior
Superficial - Nearer to the surface of the body
Deep - Further from the surface of the body
Example: “The skin is superficial to the muscle” or “The brain is deep to the skull”
Movements
In and Out
Adduction - Move towards the center-line, or bring together
Abduction - Move away from the center-line, or separate
Now I know what you’re thinking, who decided it’d be a great idea to have a one letter difference between these two? Probably the same guy who decided on “hypo” for low and “hyper” for high. But unfortunately, that’s the way it is!
Bend and Straighten
Flex - Bend a joint, or if a joint can be bent both ways then to bend anteriorly (forward)
Extend - Straighten a joint, or if a joint can bend both ways then to bend posteriorly (backward)
That's it!
And that’s it for the basics! These terms will allow you to get a good grasp of human anatomy and let you sound smart next time you’re chatting with your doctor.
Too easy? Go here for a more detailed explanation.
Thanks for reading
-tfc
My Recent Posts
Hi, I'm Tom! (My life of medicine, science and fantasy)
Hydatidiform Mole – When Pregnancy Goes Wrong
Tags - Top 20 Profitable, Engaging and Popular tags
New Years Resolutions - How to set goals, and achieve them