BODY PLANES
This plane runs down the middle of the body and divides the body into equal left and right sides.
midsagittal
Term meaning toward the head.
superior
This cavity houses the brain.
Cranial cavity
If a doctor orders a CT scan in the transverse plane, how will the body be divided?
top and bottom
The term meaning “toward the midline of the body.
medial
This plane divides the body into left and right sides.
Sagittal
Term meaning closer to the feet
inferior
This cavity contains the heart and lungs.
Thoracic cavity
Which body plane is commonly used to take chest x-rays?
Frontal
The term meaning “toward the front
anterior or ventral
This plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sections.
frontal (coronal) plane
The nose is ______ to the ears.
medial
This cavity contains the stomach, intestines, liver, and gallbladder.
Abdominal cavity
A surgeon makes an incision down the middle of the abdomen. Which plane is this cut along?
midsagittal
Which cavity protects the spinal cord?
The spinal (vertebral) cavity.
This plane divides the body into superior and inferior sections.
transverse plane
The shoulder is ______ to the wrist.
proximal
This cavity contains the urinary bladder and reproductive organs.
Pelvic cavity
Which cavity would a physician examine for appendicitis?
abdominal cavity
Which plane is also called the “horizontal plane”?
The transverse plane.
Which plane would be used to view both lungs in a single image
frontal (coronal) plane
The spine is ______ to the sternum.
posterior
Together, the abdominal and pelvic cavities are called this.
abdominopelvic cavity
MRI scans often use this plane to see structures in the left or right hemisphere of the brain.
sagittal
Which two body systems are protected by the thoracic cavity?
The cardiovascular and respiratory systems.