LAB 1

Gross Anatomy
Structural Plan of the Body

Objectives:
• To examine the body in anatomical position.
• To know the common anatomical terms for the various regions of the body.
• To be able to define selected directional terms used in describing body parts and
locations.
• To describe the various anatomical planes of the body.
• To be able to identify and locate the principal body cavities and body regions.
• To be able to identify all of the major organs located within the principal body
cavities and be able to find them on a model.
• To be able to identify the main serous membranes found lining body cavities and
organs.

Lecture Topics associated with this lab:

• Go over what is meant by anatomical position.
• Discuss with students how the location of one part of the body relates to another
body part.
• To be able to identify the main serous membranes found lining body cavities and
organs.
• Define and give examples regarding body cavities, sections, directions and
regions.

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Lab 1 Gross Anatomy

Pre-Lab Questions
1. Define anatomical position.
an individual standing erect, arms at sides, palms facing outward, fingers pointing
downwards, feet parallel to each other and flat on the floor
2. Define serous membrane.
serous membranes line the walls of body cavities and fold back to cover the
viscera within a cavity.
3. Differentiate between visceral and parietal. What does the term viscera refer to?
viscera refers to the internal organs within a body cavity. Visceral refers to the side of
the serous membrane which is in contact with the organ. Parietal refers to the side of the
serous membrane which is lining the cavity.

4. Differentiate between axial and appendicular.

axial refers to the central core. axial skeleton is composed of the skull, back bones and rib
cage.
appendicular refers to skeleton that attaches to the axial skeleton. Appendicular skeleton
consists of upper and lower limbs bones including their attachment points - shoulders and
hips.

5. Fill in the table below:

TABLE 1.1

Body Section Definition

Sagittal a vertical plane that divides body in to left and right

a horizontal plane that divides body into upper and lower (superior and inferior) portions
Transverse

Cross-Section same as transverse

a vertical plane that divides body into front and back ( anterior and posterior) portions
Frontal (coronal)
a plane that passes at an angle relative to the main vertical axis of the body
Oblique

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6. Fill in the table below:

TABLE 1.2

Organ System Major Organs Primary Functions

skin, hair, nails, sweat and sebaceous glands protect tissues, regulate body
Integumentary temperature
protect soft tissues, attachments for muscles,
Skeletal bones, ligaments and cartilages blood production, salt storage

provide movement, body heat

Muscular muscles production

Nervous brain, spinal cord, nerves, sense organs detect changes, receive
and interpret sensory info.

Endocrine pituitary gland, thyroid and parathyroid glands, control metabolic

adrenal glands, pancreas, testes and ovaries, pineal processes of the body
gland and thymus

Cardiovascular heart, arteries, veins and capillaries move blood through the
body

Immune/Lymphatic lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, defend body against

infection, return tissue
thymus and spleen fluid to the blood

Respiratory nasal cavity, larynx, pharynx, intake and output of air,

exchange gasses
trachea, bronchi and lungs
Urinary kidneys, ureters,urinary bladder, urethra store and eliminate
urine, remove waste from
blood, support electrolyte
balance
Digestive mouth, tongue, teeth, salivary glands, pharynx,
esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas,
receive, breakdown and
absorb food; eliminate
small and large intestine waste

Reproductive female: ovaries, uterus, uterine tubes, vagina,

clitoris, vulva
produce sperm cells/
produce eggs; support
male: scrotum, testes,seminal vesicles, urethra, embryo development
penis

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 Midline

Superior

Proximal

Medial
Lateral Lateral

Distal

Inferior

Anterior view Posterior view

FIGURE Directional Terms TERMS.
1.1: DIRECTIONAL

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Lab 1 Gross Anatomy

Laboratory Exercises
A. Anatomical Position and Directional Terms
Anatomical terms usually refer to the body when it is in anatomical position: the
body is erect and facing forward, arms are at the sides, the palms are facing forward,
and the toes are pointing forward. When studying anatomical drawings, unless
otherwise stated, one should assume that the drawing depicts an anatomical view.
The right side of the body will be on the left side of the drawing, as if the person
were facing you.
Often when describing a part of the body or a structure within the body, one
wants an exact means of locating its position relative to other parts or structures. In
anatomy and physiology, directional terms are used for this purpose (Figure 1.1).
For example, rather than saying, “the breastbone is farther away from the head and
nearer to the midline of the body than is the collarbone,” one can say, “the
breastbone is inferior and medial to the collarbone.”

Fill in the table below:

TABLE 1.3

Directional Term Definition Example

Anterior (ventral) Toward the front of the body (belly The heart is anterior the
side). spine.

Posterior (dorsal) Toward the back of the body. heart is posterior to the
sternum

Superior (cranial or Toward the head end of the body. the umbilical region is
cephalic) superior to the pelvic
region

Inferior (caudal) Toward the feet end of the body. large intestine is
inferior to the lungs

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 TABLE 1.3

Directional Term Definition Example

Lateral Farther from the midline (area of The thumb is lateral to

vertebral column) of the body, the little finger.
toward the side.

Intermediate Between two structures. heart is intermediate

between left and right
lungs

Medial Nearer to the midline of the body. nose is medial to the

ear

Internal (deep) Deeper within the body, away from lung is deeper to the
the surface of the body. rib cage

External (superficial) Nearer to the surface of the body. parietal serous

membrane is superficial
to visceral serous
membrane
Proximal Toward or nearer to the point of elbow is proximal to
attachment or closer to the trunk the wrist
(midline) of the body

Distal Away from or farther from the point Ex 1.: The little finger is
of attachment or farther from the distal to the elbow.
trunk (midline) of the body. Ex. 2: The little finger is
more distal to your
shoulder than your
elbow.

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 Transverse plane
(horizontal plane)
Sagittal plane Coronal plane
(median plane) (frontal plane)
Body
FIGURE 1.3: Planes
BODY PLANES/SECTIONS.

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B. Body Planes
The position of anatomical structures may also be analyzed by passing directional
planes through the body and viewing the relationship of structures in an exposed
region (Figure 1.3).
Sagittal: This plane runs anterior to posterior and divides the body into right
and left portions.
Frontal (coronal): This plane runs vertically to the ground and divides the
body into a front (anterior) and a back (posterior) portion. Both sagittal and
coronal planes result in a longitudinal section of the body.
Transverse (horizontal): This plane runs parallel to the ground and divides the
body into superior and inferior portions.

1. What main organs/structures would be visible if a transverse plane were

passed through the upper abdominal region (Figure 1.2) ?
liver, pancreas, vertebra, rite and left kidneys, spleen stomach, transverse
colon,ascending and descending colon,major blood vessels, ribs bones, skin,
muscles

FIGURE 1.2: TRANSVERSE ABDOMINAL SECTION.

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Use your textbook, lab charts and models to answer the following questions:

2. What major organs/structures would be visible if a transverse plane were

passed through the region just superior to the diaphragm?
lungs, heart,esophagus,rib bones and muscles

3. What major organs/structures would be visible if a transverse plane was

passed through the cranium?
skin, skull bones, meninges, brain matter

4. What major organs/structures would be visible if a sagittal plane were passed

through the lower abdominal region?
liver, stomach, transverse colon, greater omentum, small intestine, urinary bladder,
pancreas, male or female reproductive organs

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 Label the following body cavities in the figures below.

cranial
1

vertebral
2

thoracic 3

diaphragm 4
anterior/ ventral cavity
8
abdominal 5 (Large body cavity)

abdominopelvic
7

pelvic 6

Body cavities - lateral view

mediastinum
2 thoracic
pulmonary 3 7
pericardial 4
diaphragm
1

abdominal
5
abdominopelvic
8
pelvic
6

2016

Body cavities - anterior view

FIGURE 1.4: BODY CAVITIES.

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E. Body Cavities and Membranes
The body can be divided into several cavities, or spaces, which house the internal
organs (Figure 1.4). The thoracic and abdominal body cavities and organs are
lined with serous membrane that provides protection as well as lubrication for
organ movement. The membranes surrounding the lungs are the visceral and
parietal pleural membranes (pleura). Those around the heart are the visceral
and parietal pericardial membranes (pericardium). The membranes enclosing
the organs and lining the walls of the abdominopelvic cavity are the visceral and
parietal peritoneal membranes (peritoneum).
The three major cavities are the cranial, vertebral, and ventral cavities. The
cranial cavity is formed by the space in the skull and houses the brain. The
vertebral cavity (or spinal cavity/canal), formed by the vertebrae, houses the
spinal cord. The cranial and vertebral cavities are together called the dorsal body
cavity. The ventral body cavity, formed by the space enclosed by the ribs,
sternum, muscles, and pelvic bone, is a large cavity that includes the thoracic
cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity. These two cavities are separated by the
diaphragm.

The thoracic cavity contains thoracic viscera and is located above the diaphragm
and includes three smaller cavities:
• Pleural cavity, between the visceral and parietal pleural membranes.
• Pericardial cavity, between the visceral and parietal pericardial
membranes around the heart.
• Mediastinum, the space between the lungs.

The abdominopelvic cavity houses the abdominal and pelvic viscera and is
located below the diaphragm. The abdominopelvic cavity includes three smaller
cavities:
• The abdominal cavity contains the abdominal viscera. The kidneys,
ureters, and adrenal glands are also in this cavity area, but lie behind the
peritoneal lining and so are called retroperitoneal.
• The pelvic cavity is enclosed by the pelvic bones.
• The peritoneal cavity is between the visceral and parietal peritoneal
membranes.

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F. Anatomically, the body is divided into regions. This is useful in helping
anatomists and health practitioners be specific and reduce possible
miscommunication when discussing patient injuries and/or diseases.

Use your textbook, lab charts and models to label the body regions on Figure 1.5
using the word bank below. Not all terms will be used.

Abdominal Groin
Acromial Lumbar
Ante brachial Mammary
Antecubital Mental
Axillary Nasal
Brachial Occipital
Buccal Oral
Carpal Orbital
Celiac Palmar
Cephalic Patellar
Cervical Pectoral Pedal
Costal Pelvic
Coxal Perineal
Crural Plantar
Cubital Popliteal
Digital Sacral
Dorsal Sternal
Femoral Sural
Frontal Tarsal
Genital Umbilical
Gluteal Vertebral
Pedal Otic

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 Label the following body regions in the figures below.

cephalic 17
frontal 18 otic
nasal 29
1 orbital 19
occipital
oral buccal 20 30
2
3 cervical mental
21
4 acromial acromial 4
sternal
auxillary 22 vertebral
5 pectoral 31
mammary 23
6 brachial
brachial 32
7
dorsal 33
8
antecubital umbilical cubital
24 34
9 abdominal groin
25
antebrachial
10 coxal
26
sacral
35
11 carpal
gluteal 36
12 palmar perineal
37
13 digital
pelvic/ genital
14 femoral 38

patellar popliteal
27 39

15
crural sural 40

tarsal
16
pedal plantar
28 41

Anterior view Posterior view

Body Regional
FIGURE 1.5: BODYTerms
REGIONS.

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14
G. Abdominal Quadrants and Regions
The abdomen is subdivided into regions as well as quadrants. This is helpful
in order to describe the location of abdominal and pelvic organs. The
abdominal quadrants (refer to your textbook) are more often used by
healthcare professionals to describe areas of pain and abnormalities whereas
the regional abdominal names are used more commonly in anatomical study.
Use your textbook, lab charts and models to label Figure 1.6.

11 2
2 3
3

44 5
5 6
6

77 8
8 9
9

Abdominal Regions

1
right hypochondriac
2
epigastric
3
left hypochondriac
4
right lateral
5
umbilical
6
left lateral
7
right illiac/ inguinal
8
hypogastric
9
left illiac / inguinal

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16
 Summary Questions
1. Fill in the table below.

TABLE 1.4

Body Cavity Organs and Body Structures

Cranial Cavity brain, meninges

Vertebral Cavity spinal cord, spinal cord meninges

Thoracic Cavity lungs, heart, trachea, bronhi, esophagus, major veins and
arteries, diaphragm

Mediastinum heart, thymus, esophagus, trachea

Abdominal Cavity liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, uterus, fallopian tubes,

ovaries, kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, small intestine, large
intestine, greater omentum, mesentery

Pelvic Cavity urinary bladder,ureters, urethra, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries,

colon

transverse
2. When a surgeon amputates a leg, he/she usually makes a ____________________ cut
through a bone.

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 appendages
3. A better anatomical name for arms and legs are the ____________________ .

4. Where, specifically, is the diaphragm?

diaphragm forms an inferior part of the thoracic cavity and separates
theracic and abdominal cavities
5. What large gland is on top of the heart/lungs?
thymus

6. Describe the position of the gallbladder relative to the liver.

the gallbladder is posterior to the liver

7. What two terms are used to describe the back side of the body?
posterior or dorsal

8. If you cut a transverse section through the neck, what structures would you see? Draw
this section.
vertebral bones, spinal cord, spinal cord meninges, esophagus, larynx,
possibly thyroid gland, pharynx,trachea, neck muscles, major blood
vessels
9. If you cut a transverse section through the thoracic cavity, about midway down, what
structures would you see? Draw this section.
heart, lungs, trachea, thymus, esophagus, vertebral bones, spinal cord,
rib bones and muscles, major blood vessels

10.Use the appropriate directional terms to complete the following (more than one term
may apply). distal
The foot is ____________________________ to the knee.
medial
The tibia is ____________________________ to the fibula.
medial
The ulna is ____________________________ to the radius.
distal
The patella is ____________________________ to the hip.
medial
The thumb is ____________________________ to the pinky (smallest digit).

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 superior
The head is ____________________________ to the neck.
posterior
The kidneys are ____________________________ to the intestines.
lateral
The lungs are ____________________________ to the heart.
inferior
The diaphragm is ____________________________ to the heart.

11. Fill in the table below.

TABLE 1.5

Membrane Location Organs

Visceral: Lines stomach, liver, spleen, small

peritoneum
abdominopelvic organs and large intestines

Parietal: lines walls of the

abdominopelvic cavity

Pleural membranes Visceral: lungs

lines surface of the lungs

Parietal: Lines thoracic

cavity wall
visceral lays on the heart; parietal heart
Pericardial membrane fused to the fibrous pericardium
renal capsule lays on the kidneys Kidneys

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