1 Anatomical Terminology and Body Organization Free Online FlashCards

What is anatomical position?

A person stands upright and faces forward, with feet flat and directed forward, arms at the sides, and palms facing forward.

In anatomical descriptions, whose right and left are used?

Right and left refer to the person’s own right and left, not the viewer’s.

How do midsagittal and parasagittal planes differ?

A sagittal plane divides the body into right and left portions. A midsagittal plane creates equal halves; a parasagittal plane creates unequal portions.

How do the axial and appendicular regions differ?

The axial region includes the head, neck, and trunk. The appendicular region includes the limbs and the girdles that attach them to the trunk.

How do abdominal quadrants differ from the nine-region scheme?

Four quadrants provide a quick location description; nine regions allow finer localization. Both are reference areas, not separate anatomical compartments.

What does the dorsal cavity contain?

The dorsal cavity includes the cranial cavity, which contains the brain, and the vertebral cavity, which contains the spinal cord. These cavities are continuous.

How do parietal and visceral serous membrane layers differ?

The parietal layer lines a cavity wall; the visceral layer covers an organ. Fluid between them reduces friction as organs move.

What is the sequence of body organization, from simplest to most complex?

Chemical level → cellular level → tissue level → organ level → organ-system level → organism level.

What does negative feedback do in homeostasis?

Negative feedback counteracts a change to help regulate internal conditions. For example, sweating helps lower body temperature when it rises.

What does proximal mean for a limb structure?

Proximal means closer to a limb’s attachment to the trunk.

What does distal mean for a limb structure?

Distal means farther from a limb’s attachment to the trunk.

What portions does a frontal plane separate?

A frontal, or coronal, plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions.