Descriptive Anatomical Terms
Dr. R. Menaka
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Planes of the Body:
Longitudinal Median Plane- This plane divides the body into almost two equal halves.
Saggittal Plane or Paramedian Plane- Any plane which is parallel to the median plane.
Transverse Plane- are the cross sectional plane.
Coronal plane- Any plane which is at right angle to the saggittal plane.
Frontal plane- This plane cuts the long axis of the body of an animal horizontally
Anterior- Front
Posterior- Back
Cranial - Towards the head
Caudal - Towards the tail
Proximal- Upper
Distal- Lower
Superior- Above
Inferior- Below
Superficial - Close to the surface
Deep- Below the superficial
Rostral-Towards the nose
Axial-Towards the axis of the body
Abaxial- Away from the axis of the body
Palmer- The contact surface of the forelimb that contacts the ground in standing position.
Planter- The contact surface of the hind limb that contacts the ground in standing position.
Osteological Terms:
Facet - A small articular surface
Fovea - An articular surface in the form of a very small pit
Foramen - A depression
Groove - An elongated depression
Incisura - A notch like depression
Condyles - Knuckle shaped paired articular surface
Epicondyles - A small projection adjacent to condyles
Trochlea - A pully like grooved articular surface
Process - A large projection
Spine - A pointed projection
Tuberosity - A large round projection
Tubercle - A small projection
Trochanter - A large very prominence
Foramen - A hole or perforation through a bone
Crest - An elongated elevation
Head - An expended and nearly round proximal end
Neck - The constricted part below head
Cleft - A fissure in a bone
Lamina - A thin plate like structure
Line - A faint elongated elevation
Prominence, Protuberance - various bony prominence
and eminence