Regional Anatomy/Lesson 2

Introduction to Regional Anatomy - Lesson 2

The Anatomical Planes of the Body

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Introduction to Regional Anatomy
Lesson:	Lesson 2
Level:	Undergraduate
Suggested Prerequisites:	no prerequisites
Time Investment:	5mins
Assessment Methods:	Quiz
Portal:	Science
School:	Biology/Medicine
Division:	Anatomy
Department:	Regional Anatomy
Lesson Coordinator:	=Benjamin= (talk)

Reading:

The best way to understand the relationship between parts of a three dimensional object is to slice through it and look at it's internal structure. The advent of electronic imaging techniques has given great weight to understanding the planes of the body and how they relate to each other. A plane is an axis; three planes are required to describe a three dimensional object. A section is a single view, or slice along one of these planes. The three planes used to describe the human body are:

• The transverse plane divides the body perpendicular to the long axis; it divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions. A section in this plane is also called a cross section. The transverse plane is also known as the axial plane.
• The coronal plane spans from side to side dividing the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections.
• The sagittal plane extends from front to back, dividing the body into left and right portions. A section that separates left from right in halves is a midsagittal section; one that passes parallel to this is a parasagittal section.

Quiz:

for any short answer quiz questions, please answer in lower case.

1

The first image at the top left of this page shows the plane of the body.

2

The second shows the plane of the body.

3

The third shows the plane of the body.

Completion status: Ready for testing by learners and teachers. Please begin!