Ch. 7.2 Body Planes, Direction and cavities; Key terms
Abdominal cavity
The upper part of the abdominopelvic cavity) contains the stomach, small intestine, most of the large intestine, appendix, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.
Body planes
Imaginary lines drawn through the body at various parts to separate the body into sections.
Inferior
Means body parts below other parts (related to the transverse plane).
Orbital cavity
One of the small cavities for the eyes.
Superficial
(or external) Indicates structures are located near the body surface.
Abdominal regions
Sections or divisions of the large abdominal cavity. They are typically divided into either four quadrants (e.g., RUQ) or nine more precise regions (e.g., epigastric, umbilical, hypochondriac).
Buccal cavity
Also known as the mouth; one of the small cavities for the teeth and tongue.
Lateral
Means body parts away from the midline, or sagittal plane.
Pelvic cavity
(The lower part of the abdominal cavity) contains the urinary bladder, the reproductive organs, and the last part of the large intestine.
Thoracic cavity
Located in the chest and contains the esophagus, trachea, bronchi, lungs, heart, and large blood vessels.
Anterior
Means body parts in front of the frontal (coronal) plane, or on the front of the body. It is interchangeable with ventral.
Caudal
Means body parts located near the sacral region of the spinal column (the "tail").
Medial
Means body parts close to the midline, or sagittal plane.
Posterior
Means body parts on the back of the body. It is interchangeable with dorsal.
Transverse plane
A horizontal plane that divides the body into a top half and a bottom half.
Bilateral
Refers to conditions that affect both sides of the body.
Dorsal
Means body parts on the back of the body. It is interchangeable with posterior.
Midsagittal plane
A sagittal plane that runs down the midline of the body and divides the body into equal halves.
Proximal
Means body parts close to the point of reference (generally the main trunk of the body); typically used for the extremities (arms and legs).
Unilateral
Refers to conditions that only affect one side of the body.
Body cavities
Spaces within the body that contain vital organs.
Frontal (coronal) plane
Divides the body into a front section and a back section.
Nasal cavity
One of the small cavities for the nose structures.
Sagittal plane
Divides the body into left and right sections.
Ventral
Means body parts in front of the frontal (coronal) plane, or on the front of the body. It is interchangeable with anterior.