1. Body Planes, Direction, and Cavities
Health Science

2. Facing East or West
It would be difficult to apply these terms to the human body and other directional terms have been applied.

3. Body Planes
Imaginary lines drawn through the various parts to separate the body into sections.

4. Three Main Body Planes
1. Transverse plane- horizontal and divides the body into top half and bottom half.
2. Midsagittal-median-divides body into right and left sides.

5. Third Body Plane
3. Frontal –divides the body into front and back sections

6. Body Cavities
Spaces within the body that contains vital organs.

7. Two Main Body Cavities
1. Dorsal cavity is one long, continuous cavity located on the back of the body (contains cranial and spinal cavity)
Also known as the posterior or back portion.

8. Second Type of Body Cavity
2. Ventral cavities are larger than the dorsal cavities.
This is known as the anterior or front cavity.
Thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cavities make up the ventral cavity

9. Cavities 1. Thoracic- chest (heart, lungs, large blood vessels)
2. Abdominal-stomach, small intestine, front part of large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen
3. Pelvic- bladder, reproductive organs, last part of the large intestine
4. Orbital-eyes
5. Nasal-nose
6. Buccal-mouth

10. Abdominal Regions
Abdominal is a LARGE cavity and is divided into regions or sections.
Umbilicus: belly button
One method: quadrants-
RUQ, LUQ, LLQ, RLQ

11. TERMS 1. epigastric Above the stomach 2. umbilical
Near the umbilicus or belly button
3. hypogastric
Below the stomach

12. Terms
4. lumbar
Near the spinal cord
5. inguinal
Near the groin

13. Directional terms Proximal: body parts close to the point of reference
Distal: body parts distant from the point of reference
Superior: body parts above other parts
Inferior: body parts below
other parts
Cranial: parts near the head
Caudal: body parts near the sacral region (tail)