SHS 300 Orientation and Terminology
Cards
Upper Extremity
arm: shoulder to hand
Lower Extremity
leg: thigh to foot
Axial skeleton
head and trunk
Appendicular skeleton
upper and lower limbs
Neuraxis
axis of the spinal cord and brain
Anterior
towards the front surface of the body
Ventral
covers frontal surface of the face and body
Posterior
towards back
Dorsal
covers the back
Lateral
towards the side
Frontal/Coronal
separates front and back vertically into anterior and posterior sections
Horizontal/Axial/Transverse
separates upper and lower portions horizontally into superior and inferior portions
Sagittal
separates vertically along the side of the body into left and right portions
Peripheral
away from the center of the body or from a structure
Superficial
towards the surface
Deep
below the surface
Distal
away from the midline and further away
Proximal
in relation to midline and closer
Medial
towards the midline
Superior
above
Inferior
below
Caudal
Below
Rostral
Top
Flexion
bending ventral surfaces together
Extension
separating ventral surfaces
Adduct
bring together or move towards midline
Abduct
separate or move away from midline
Prone
lying face up
Supine
lying face down
Agonist
a muscle which moves in a given direction
Antagonist
a muscle which opposes that motion is the antagonist
Co-contraction
muscles contract at the same time
Isotonic contraction
muscle contracts and shortens but tone remains stable
Isometric contraction
muscle tone increases but length does not change
