1. Anatomical Position and Body Cavities

2. Levels of Organization
Cellular: cells are the basic functional units of the body
Tissue: groups of cells that work together to perform a specialized function
Organ: two or more different types of tissue with specific functions and recognizable shapes
System: related organs with common functions
Organism: a collection of body systems that makes up a living being

3. Anatomic Position
Anatomic Position: Body is erect and facing forward with the arms at the sides and palms toward the front and toes pointing forward

4. Directional Terms Anterior, ventral: toward the front of the body
Posterior, dorsal: toward the back of the body
Superior, cranial, cephalic: toward the head, above or higher
Inferior, caudal: toward the tail, below or lower

5. Directional Terms Medial: pertaining to the middle, toward the midline
Lateral: pertaining to or toward the side
Exterior: outside
Interior: inside
Adduction: movement toward the midline of the body
Abduction: movements away from the midline of the body

6. Directional Terms Superficial: toward or on the surface
Deep: away from the surface
Proximal: near the point of attachment
Distal: further from the point of attachment
Parietal: pertaining to the outer wall of a cavity
Visceral: pertaining to the organs within a cavity

7. Body Planes
Sagittal or Medial plane: divides the body in to equal left and right halves
Frontal or Coronal Plane: divides the body into anterior and posterior planes
Transverse or Horizontal plane: divides body into superior and inferior halves

8. Body Cavities

9. Abdominopelvic Quadrants
Right Upper Quadrant: (RUQ) contains the right lobe of the liver, the gallbladder, part of the pancreas and part of the intestines
Right Lower Quadrant: (RLQ) contains part of the intestines, the appendix, the right ovary, right fallopian tube and right ureter

10. Abdominopelvic Quadrants
Left Upper Quadrant: (LUQ) contains the left lobe of the liver, the stomach, the spleen, part of the pancreas and part of the intestines
Left Lower Quadrant: (LLQ) contains part of the intestines, the left ovary, left fallopian tube and left ureter

12. Body Positions Supine: laying flat on the back with arms at the sides
Prone: laying flat on the abdomen with the head turned slightly to one side

13. Body Positions Fowler: sitting at a 45-60 degree angle, semi-sitting
Sims: lying on the left side, left arm is behind the body, right arm is forward and flexed at the elbow

14. Body Positions
Dorsal Recumbent: supine position, legs are bent at the knees and feet are on the table
Lithotomy: supine position, legs are bent at the knees, feet are placed in stirrups
Knee-chest: kneeling position with buttocks elevated, head and chest are on the table

15. Combining Forms: Body Regions
Abdomin/o: abdomen Caud/o: tail Cervic/o: neck or cervix (neck of the uterus) ili/o: ilium (hip bone) Inguin/o: groin Lumb/o: loins (lower back) Pelv/i or pelv/o: pelvis Cost/o: ribs Spin/o: spine Thorac/o: chest Umbilic/o: navel, umbilicus

16. Combining Forms: Directional Terms
Anter/o: anterior, front Dist/o: far, furthest Dors/o: back of the body infer/o: lower, below Later/o: side or to one side Medi/o: middle Poster/o: back of the body, behind Proxim/o: near, nearest Super/o: upper, above Ventr/o: belly sides

17. Diseases and Conditions
Adhesion: band of scar tissue binding surfaces that are normally separate
Inflammation: protective response of the body tissues due to irritation, infection or allergy
Sepsis: the body’s inflammatory response to infection accompanied by fever, elevated heart and respiratory rates, and low blood pressure

18. Diagnostic Procedures
Scan: using a sweeping beam of radiation to produce images of internal organs or tissues
Endoscopy: visual examination of the organs with an endoscope
Fluoroscopy: radiographic imaging using fluorescent screens instead of photographic plate
Results in the imaging of the motion of internal structures

19. Diagnostic Procedures
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): radiographic imaging that uses electromagnetic energy to produce a cross-sectional image of the body
Nuclear Scan: produces an image of an organ by recording the concentration of a “tracer” that is introduced to the body by ingestion, inhalation or injection
Radiography: production of an x-ray on photographic film

20. Diagnostic Procedures
Radiopharmaceutical: (Tracer) radiopaque substances that travel to a specific organ or area
Computed Tomography (CT scan): narrow beam of x-rays that produces a cross-sectional image of an organ or area
Positron emission tomography (PET scan): imaging that combines CT with tracers to produce a cross- sectional image that shows where the tracer element is being metabolized

21. Diagnostic Procedures
Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT scan): imaging that scans an organ after injection of a tracer and produces a 3-D image
Used to show blood flow to the organ to diagnose organ function
Ultrasonography (US): imaging that uses high- frequency sound waves that bounce off tissues and record an image of a body structure

22. Abbreviations Ant: anterior AP: Anteroposterior Bx, bx: biopsy
CXR: Chest X-ray
LAT, lat: lateral
LLQ: left lower quadrant
LUQ: left upper quadrant
PA: Posteoanterior
RLQ: right lower quadrant
RUQ: right upper quadrant
CT: computed tomography
MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
PET: positron emission tomography
US: ultrasound, ultrasonography
SPECT: single-photon emission computed tomography