Anatomical planes
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Anatomical Planes
Anatomical planes are imaginary flat surfaces that pass through the body, used to describe the location of structures or the direction of movements. They are fundamental concepts in anatomy and related medical fields.
Pronunciation
Anatomical Planes: /ænəˈtɒmɪkəl pleɪnz/
Etymology
The term "anatomical" is derived from the Greek word "anatome" which means "dissection", while "planes" comes from the Latin word "planus" meaning "flat surface".
Description
There are three primary anatomical planes: the sagittal plane, the coronal plane, and the transverse plane.
- The sagittal plane (also known as the lateral plane) is a vertical plane that divides the body into left and right sections. It runs parallel to the median plane, which is the sagittal plane that runs directly down the middle of the body.
- The coronal plane (also known as the frontal plane) is a vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections.
- The transverse plane (also known as the horizontal plane) is a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) sections.
These planes are used in both human and animal anatomy to describe the location of structures or the direction of movements.
Related Terms
- Median plane: A sagittal plane that runs directly down the middle of the body, dividing it into equal left and right halves.
- Parasagittal plane: Any sagittal plane that is not the median plane, i.e., it does not divide the body into equal left and right halves.
- Oblique plane: A plane that is not parallel to the sagittal, coronal, or transverse planes.
See Also
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