Flordeliza M.

de Jesus, MD

GROSS ANATOMY
Introduction
to Gross Anatomy

INTRODUCTION
What is Anatomy?

Derived from the ancient Greek word Anatemnein

Ana separate, apart from
Temnein to cut up, cut open

It is a branch of science and medicine that deals with the

structure of living things

June 07, 2012

of these parts of the body. Example: what structure is above

the eye?)
Medical students learn anatomy through practical experience
of dissection and inspection of cadavers; and more
importantly living human subjects by surface anatomy

ANATOMICAL TERMS
Subdivisions of Anatomy
GROSS ANATOMY (Macroscopic Anatomy)
1. Study of anatomical structure that can, when suitably
presented or dissected be seen by unaided vision or
with the naked eye
2. Need not use a microscope or magnifying lenses
MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY
1. Study of minute anatomical structures on a microscopic
scale. It includes histology and cytology.
2. Requires use of a microscope or magnifying lenses
3. Histology study of tissues
Cytology study of cells

1.

POSITION
STANDARD ANATOMICAL POSITION
Human body is upright
Erect on two legs, feet together, slightly separated
Facing forward
Arms at the sides of the body, rotated so that palms of the
hand faces forward
Thumbs point away from the body
Among males, the penis is erect

Superficial (Surface) Anatomy

Superficial (surface) anatomy is the study of anatomical
landmarks that can be readily seen on the surface of the
body. (need not open the skin; study parts of the body
beneath the skin; most important anatomy)
With knowledge of surface anatomy, one can gauge the
position and anatomy of deeper structures without dissection
Useful in physical examination

Techniques or Methods in Surface Anatomy

VISUAL INSPECTION
directly observes the structure and marking of surface
features (without touching; just the eyes)
size
color
shape
symmetry
movement
PALPATION
feeling with firm pressure or perceiving by the sense of
touch
tenderness
temperature
gauge size of lumps
consistency (soft, firm)
texture (smooth, rough, slippery)
PERCUSSION
tap sharply on specific body parts/sites to detect vibrations
make use of hands by tapping parts of the body
tympanism / tympanitic presence of air
resonant
dull
AUSCULTATION
listen to sounds emitted from organs
makes use of sense of hearing
uses instrument to magnify sound (stethoscope)

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2.

3.

4.

The Five Vital Signs

1. Blood pressure
2. Cardiac rate (Heart rate / Pulse rate)
3. Respiration (rate)
4. Temperature
5. Pain
These vital signs are not present in cadavers :P
Reminder: Do not abbreviate terms (BP for blood pressure)
during exams!

What is Human Anatomy?

HUMAN ANATOMY (including gross and histology) is
primarily the scientific study of morphology of the adult
human body. (It is important that one knows the relationship

2.

SUPINE POSITION
Body is lying down on his back, face directed upward

3.

PRONE POSITION
Person is lying on his belly, face directed downward.
The body lying on a horizontal plane

4.

LITHOTOMY
Body is lying supine with hips and knees fully flexed;
the legs are strapped in position to support flexed knees
and hips
To be encountered in obstetrics

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NMDepay, NAMDionisio, GCLabo, SDNicer, JPadolina, KAPangan, JESalud

ANTERIOR - POSTERIOR

Anterior towards the front; in front of

The sternum is anterior to the heart.

Posterior after, behind, toward the rear

The heart is posterior to the sternum.
DORSAL VENTRAL

More appropriately used in describing four-legged animals

Dorsal towards the back; near the upper surface

Ventral towards the belly; toward the bottom

PLANES
Imaginary vertical and horizontal planes on a person in the
anatomical position:
1. SAGITTAL PLANE
Vertical plane
Runs through the body from the front to the back or
back to the front
Divides the body into right and left regions
MIDSAGITTAL PLANE divides body into two
equal halves
Runs along the sagittal suture of the skull

DISTAL PROXIMAL

Used appropriately in describing parts of the upper and

lower extremities

Proximal near or close to origin

Distal away from, farther from the origin

SUPERIOR INFERIOR

Superior towards the head or upper part of the body;

above, over;
The head is superior to the neck.

Inferior towards the ground/feet; below, under;

The thorax is inferior to the neck.

2. FRONTAL / CORONAL PLANE

Vertical plane
Runs through the center of the body from side to
side
Divides the body into front and back regions.
Runs along the plane of the coronal suture of the
skull
3. TRANSVERSE PLANE
Horizontal plane
Runs through the midsection of the body
Divides the body into upper (superior) and lower
(inferior) regions.
Not necessarily in the middle part of the body

CEPHALIC CAUDAL

More appropriately used in describing parts of animals

Cephalic towards the head

Caudal towards the tail/rear part of an animal

ROSTRAL CAUDAL

Used to describe parts in the head, cranium, or brain

Rostral towards the front/nose

Caudal towards the back

These planes can be used in describing sections:

Sections (Longitudinal / Cross-Section) have no regards to

the anatomical position

LONGITUDINAL cuts the body along the long axis

CROSS-SECTION cuts the body along the short axis

TRANSVERSE

OBLIQUE any tangential

longitudinal

MEDIAL LATERAL

Medial towards the center of the body; towards the

midline, away from the side

Lateral towards the side, away from the midline

transverse
transverse

oblique

LOCATION / RELATIONS
Describes the location of structures in relation to other
structures
Provides a common method of communication that helps to
avoid confusion when identifying/describing structures
Each directional term often has a counterpart with converse
or opposite meaning

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NMDepay, NAMDionisio, GCLabo, SDNicer, JPadolina, KAPangan, JESalud

SUPERFICIAL DEEP

Superficial near the surface of the body / skin

The skin is superficial to the muscles.

Deep away from the surface of the body / skin

The bones are deep in relation to the muscles.

Used interchangeably with internal (inside the body) and

external (outside the body).

PRONATION SUPINATION

Pronation when in the anatomical position, the forearm

is rotated so that the palm of the hand faces backward.

Supination when in the anatomical position, the palm of

the hand faced forward. When the forearm is in the
horizontal position, the palmar surface of hand faces
upward.

MOVEMENT
Flexion Extension
Abduction Adduction
Pronation Supination
Inversion Eversion
Dorsiflexion Plantarflexion
Depression Elevation
Protrusion Retrusion
Protraction Retraction
Opposition Reposition
Circumduction
Rotation

FLEXION EXTENSION

Flexion bending movement between two or more

articulated parts / decrease in angle between
two articulated parts
bending of the knees
closing hand into fist
flexion of shoulder is movement of hand to front
flexion or arm is folding forearm towards the
shoulder

Extension reverse of flexion / increase in angle between

two articulated parts
- limited to 180 only, otherwise is called
hyperextension
extension of the digits of the hand

ABDUCTION ADDUCTION

Abduction away from the midline of the body

moving arm away from the body
moving thumb away from index finger
moving fingers away from each other
the middle finger is the midline or reference point
in the abduction or adduction of digits
moving legs away from body abduction of the
hip joint

Adduction towards the midline of the body

INVERSION EVERSION

Inversion plantar aspect of the foot is turned inward;

standing in the lateral sides of the feet

Eversion plantar aspect of the foot is turned outward;

standing on the big toe side

Used to describe movements of the foot or ankle

DORSIFLEXION PLANTARFLEXION

Dorsiflexion movement of the ankle which pulls the

toes and foot up towards the body

Plantarflexion movement of the ankle where the

pointing of the toes and foot is away from the body
(downward and backward)

DEPRESSION ELEVATION

Depression to move down

depression of the mandible in opening the mouth

Elevation to move up
elevation of the mandible in closing the mouth

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NMDepay, NAMDionisio, GCLabo, SDNicer, JPadolina, KAPangan, JESalud

ROTATION

Movement of a bone around a longitudinal axis

Medial rotation movement in which the anterior aspect

of a limb turns towards the midline (internal rotation).

Lateral rotation movement in which the anterior aspect

turns away from the midline (external rotation).

PROTRACTION RETRACTION

Movement of the shoulder, jaw and tongue

Protraction anterior movement of the shoulder / jaw

Retraction posterior movement of the shoulder / jaw

PROTRUSION RETRUSION

Similar to protraction-retraction movements

Commonly used to describe mandibular movement

OPPOSITION REPOSITION

Used only to describe movement of the thumb and fingers

Opposition grasping of thumb and fingers

movement of thumb towards the tip of the other
fingers

Reposition to release an object by spreading the fingers

and thumb

THE BODY SYSTEMS

10 BODY SYSTEMS
Skeletal and Articular Systems 206 bones
Muscular System 656 muscles
Circulatory System heart and blood vessels
Respiratory System nose, passageway, lungs
Digestive System mouth to anus
Urinary System kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder, urethra
Reproductive System male and female reproductive
system
Endocrine System glands
Integumentary System
Nervous System
BODY REGIONS
Head and neck
Thorax
Abdomen and pelvis
Back
Upper extremity
Lower extremity

CIRCUMDUCTION

circular movement of a part

a combination of flexion, abduction, extension, adduction

and rotation movements

Describes a cone; where the attached part is the apex,

while the base of the cone is drawn by the distal part of
the hand
apex at the shoulder joint, base drawn by the hand

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NMDepay, NAMDionisio, GCLabo, SDNicer, JPadolina, KAPangan, JESalud