Explain each of the following ; frontal plane, tranverse plane, sagittal plane, coronal plane, anterior, posterior, superior, inferior, dorsal, ventral, distal and proximal

Question

These are medical terms refering to where something may be on a body.

Answer 1

* The following planes pass through the body in anatomical position. To fully comprehend the planes, one must first understand anatomical position.

ANATOMICAL POSITION

The body is upright, facing the observer. Feet flat, facing forward, upper extremities by their side and palms facing forward. Always imagine the body in this position when considering the different planes and sections described below.

FRONTAL PLANE

Also referred to as Coronal Plane. A vertical plane (imagine a sheet of glass) that divides the body between front (aka anterior and ventral) and back (aka posterior and dorsal) sections.

TRANSVERSE PLANE

Also referred to as horizontal and axial planes. A horizontal plane that divides the body between top (aka superior) and bottom (aka inferior) sections.

SAGITTAL PLANE

ANY vertical plane that divides the body between left and right sections. These are not equal sections.

MEDIAN PLANE

A specific type of sagittal plane, this is more specific and in only one location.

aka median sagittal plane is the vertical plane that divides the body into EQUAL left and right halves.

CORONAL PLANE

See Frontal Plane above.

ANTERIOR

aka ventral

Used when referring toward the front of the body.

e.g. my knee cap/patella is located on the anterior/ventral side of my body

Also see frontal plane above.

POSTERIOR

aka dorsal

Used when referring toward the back of the body.

e.g. my heel is more posterior than my toes.

(When referring to surfaces of the hands and feet, they become plantar and dorsal surfaces, the reasoning for specific terms for these surfaces originate in embryological development.)

Also see Frontal Plane above.

SUPERIOR

Used when referring to the top of the body.

e.g. my head is superior to my shoulders.

Also see Transverse Plane above.

INFERIOR

Used when referring to the bottom of the body.

e.g. my shoulders are inferior to my head.

Also see Transverse Plane above.

DORSAL

see frontal plane above.

VENTRAL

see frontal plane above.

DISTAL

Describes something farther away from the point of origin or the axial skeleton.

e.g. my wrist is distal to my elbow.

PROXIMAL

Describes something closer to the point of origin or axial skeleton.

e.g. my elbow is proximal to my wrist.

Answer 2

Frontal plane is the same as coronal just a different term, and it divides the body into front and back portions (also known as anterior and posterior)

Transverse plane refers to an imaginary line dividing the body in upper or lower half, also known as superior and inferior

Sagittal plane refers to dividing the body into left and right, mid-sagittal refers to dividing left and right but directly down the middle dividing the body in equal left and right

Anterior = in front of or before, Posterior = behind of or after

Superior = top portion, above Inferior = bottom, below, under

Dorsal refers to the back or direction of toward the back of thr body Ventral refers to towards the front of, direction of frontwards to the body

Distal means the farthest away from point of attachment, Proximal meaning the closest to point of attachment