Anatomical Terminology

The term "anatomy" comes from the Greek word "anatémnein", meaning to "cut apart" or "dissect".

And yet it is not sufficient to view anatomy merely as the art of dissection. It is rather the science concerned with the construction and composition of the human body.

At the beginning of the Modern Age, the dissection of corpses led to knowledge about the human organs.

The following photographs and art work depict the quite amazing abilities of early anatomists in describing the human body.

Cadaver Lab

Interior of an unidentified classroom, students posing next to three cadavers and a skeleton United States, ca. 1910. Photograph. National Library of Medicine

Elementi di anatomia fisiologica applicata alle belle arti figurative

Elementi di anatomia fisiologica applicata alle belle arti figurative Turin, 1837-39. Lithograph. National Library of Medicine Francesco Bertinatti (fl. mid-1800s) [anatomist] Mecco Leone [artist] The anatomical studies for real, imaginary and prospective sculptures and paintings became a genre in its own right in the early and middle decades of the 19th century.

Anatomische Tafeln..

Anatomische Tafeln... Frankfurt, 1656. Copperplate engraving. National Library of Medicine Giulio Casserio (ca. 1552-1616) [anatomist] This clumsy frontispiece features five notable anatomists posed around a cadaver. In the center of the picture, the image of the Earth, with the continent of "America" visible, signifies that the anatomized body is a "New World," and dissection a voyage of discovery.

Modern Anatomical Terminology

In this context, macroscopic anatomy became known as everything in the human body recognizable to the naked eye.

To recognize smaller correlations, the microscope had to be invented. In modern times, microscopic anatomy has been further complemented by submicroscopic anatomy, facilitated through the invention of the electron microscope.

The main concern of anatomy is to recognize the relationships, the connections between the individual components within the human body.

Medical professionals often refer to sections of the body in terms of anatomical planes (flat surfaces). These planes are imaginary lines – vertical or horizontal – drawn through an upright body. The terms are used to describe a specific body part.

Listed below are general anatomical terms and their meanings.

Coronal Plane or Frontal Plane Sagittal Plane or Lateral Plane Axial Plane or Transverse Plane

Medial Toward the midline of the body Lateral Away from the midline of the body Proximal Toward a reference point (extremity) Distal Away from a reference point (extremity) Inferior Lower or below Superior Upper or above Cephalad or Cranial Head Caudal or Caudad Tail, tail end Anterior Toward the front Posterior Toward the back Dorsal Posterior Ventral Anterior

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