SNELL’S CLINICAL ANATOMY BY Cut: separation/slice all the way through

REGIONS something.
Incision: superficial (surface) cut of a
structure
Chapter 1: Introduction
ANATOMIC TERMINILOGY: MOVEMENT
Anatomy - the science of the structure and
function of the body
Clinical anatomy - the study of the
macroscopic structure and function of the
body as it relates to the practice of medicine
and other health sciences.
ANATOMIC TERMINILOGY: POSITION
Anatomical Position: body standing erect,
face forward, upper limbs at side, palms
forward, limbs are together, soles of the on
the ground and toes forward.
Superior: body part above another body
part/ closer to head (thoracic cavity s. to
abdominopelvic)
Inferior: body part below another body part/
near feet (neck i. to head)
Anterior (ventral): towards front (eyes a. to
Abduction: movement away from the
brain)
midline of the body in the coronal
Posterior (dorsal): towards back (pharynx p.
Adduction: movement toward the midline of
to oral cavity)
the body in the coronal plane
Medial: midline / body part is medial if closer
Inversion: turning the sole of the foot, so
to midline than another part (nose medial to
that the sole faces in a medial direction,
eyes)
toward the midline
Lateral: towards side w/ respect to midline
Eversion: the opposite movement of the foot
(ears lateral to eyes)
so that the sole faces in a lateral direction.
Proximal: closer to or attach to trunk than
Rotation: the term applied to the movement
another body part (elbow is p. to the wrist)
of a part of the body around its long axis,
Distal: further from point of attachment / with little to no movement through space.
farther from trunk than another body part
Medial (internal) rotation: the movement that
(fingers d. to wrist)
results in the anterior surface of the part
superficial: near surface facing medially

Deep: more internal parts Lateral (external) rotation: the movement

that results in the anterior surface of the part
Supine: lying w/ anterior facing up. facing laterally
Prone: lying w/ anterior facing down. Rotation: applied to the movement of a part
Canial: towards tailbone of the body around its long axis, with little to
no movement through space.
Caudal: towards head
Medial (internal) rotation: the movement that
Median Plane: vertical plane passing results in the anterior surface of the part
through the center of the body, dividing it facing medially
into equal right and left halves
lateral (external) rotation: the movement
Sagittal Plane: right/left portions (50/50: that results in the anterior surface of the part
midsagittal plane) facing laterally
Transverse Plane: horiz./ superior & inferior Circumduction: complex sequence of
portions (parallel to ground) movements combining flexion, extension,
abduction, adduction, and rotation
Coronal Plane (frontal): section that divides
body into anterior/ posterior portions.
Pronation: turning the forearm medially in  The skin has two main parts:
such a manner that the palm of the hand epidermis and dermis.
faces posteriorly  The main skin appendages are the
nails, hair follicles, sebaceous
Supination: turning the forearm laterally
glands, and sweat glands.
from the pronated position so that the palm
 Fascia is the connective tissue that
of the hand comes to face anteriorly
ties the skin to underlying tissues
Protraction: used to describe moving a body and both unites and separates
part forward. deeper lying structures.
 The two types of fascia are
Retraction: move a part backward
superficial fascia and deep fascia.
BASIC ANATOMY is the study of the  Bone is the hardened connective
minimal amount of anatomy consistent with tissue that forms the framework of
the understanding of the overall structure the body, protects many internal
and function of the body. organs, and provides the mechanical
base for movement.
Skin  Bones can be classified according to
Epidermis: superficial part, a stratified regional layout or general shape.
epithelium with cells that flatten as they  Cartilage is the form of connective
mature and rise to the surface. On the tissue in which cells and fibers are
palms of the hands and the soles of the embedded in a gel-like matrix.
feet, the epidermis is extremely thick to  The three types of cartilage are
withstand the wear and tear that occurs in hyaline, fibrocartilage, and elastic.
these regions. In other areas of the body,  Joints are the sites where two or
such as on the anterior surface of the arm more bones come together. Joints
and forearm, it is thin may or may not permit movement
between the articulating elements.
Dermis: deep part, composed of dense
 The three main types of joints are
connective tissue containing many blood
fibrous joints, cartilage joints, and
vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves. It
synovial joints.
shows considerable variation in thickness in
 Synovial joints are the most
different parts of the body, tending to be
complex-type joints and normally
thinner on the anterior than on the posterior
permit the greatest degrees of
surface. It is thinner in women than in men.
movement.
The dermis of the skin is connected to the
 Ligaments bind bones to bones and
underlying deep fascia or bones by the
limit movement between bones.
superficial fascia, otherwise known as
subcutaneous tissue.  Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that
reduce friction and enhance
(The skin over joints always folds in the movement between hard or soft
same place, the skin creases. At these tissue structures.
sites, the skin is thinner than elsewhere and  Muscles are contractile tissues that
is firmly tethered to structures by strong cause movement.
bands of fibrous tissue)  The three types of muscle are
skeletal, cardiac, and smooth.
Nails: keratinized plates on the dorsal
surfaces of the tips of the fingers and toes.  Skeletal muscles act in antagonistic
groups in which agonists produce a
Key Concepts desired action and antagonists
oppose the agonist(s).
Anatomy Terms
 A motor unit is a single motor neuron
 The anatomical position is the plus all the skeletal muscle fibers
reference posture for all terms supplied by that neuron.
ofdirection and movement.  The nervous system controls and
 Four geometric planes (median, integrates the activities of the body.
coronal, horizontal, and transverse)  The central nervous system consists
are the references for descriptions of of the brain and spinal cord. The
direction and movement. peripheral nervous system consists
 Eponyms are to be avoided if at all of the cranial and spinal nerves and
possible. their ganglia.
 The somatic nervous system acts
Basic Anatomy upon the body’s external
environment, mainly via skeletal
muscle actions. The visceral
 (autonomic) nervous system acts 33 Vertebrae
upon the body’s internal
environment, mainly via the actions  7 cervical
of cardiac and smooth muscle and  12 thoracic
glands.  5 lumbar
 Three membranes (meninges)  5 sacral (fused to form the sacrum)
surround the entire central nervous  4 coccygeal (the lower 3 are
system: dura mater, arachnoid commonly fused)
mater, and pia mater.
(Numerous joints connect these many
 The autonomic nervous system individual segments, thus making the
consists of two parts: the vertebral column quite flexible)
sympathetic division and the
parasympathetic division. The Vertebrae
sympathetic division prepares the
Typical Vertebra
body for emergency, whereas the
parasympathetic division aids in  Rounded body anteriorly
recovery.  Vertebral Arch posteriorly
 Dermatomes are the areas of skin  Vertebral Foramen (a large hole
supplied by the somatic sensory in the middle)
fibers of a single spinal nerve.
 Arteries, veins, and capillaries are (Foramen = singular, Foramina =
the three types of blood vessels. plural)
 Arteries carry blood away from the Vertebral Canal
heart. Veins transport blood toward
the heart. Capillaries connect the - continuous passageway of a
smallest arteries and veins. vertebral foramina, which
 Lymph is clear tissue fluid that drains conveys the spinal cord and its
mainly into the venous system. coverings.
 Lymphatic organs (lymph nodes, Vertebral Arch
tonsils, thymus, spleen) and
lymphatic vessels (ducts and trunks) - Pair of cylindrical pedicles
are the two major components of the - Paor of flattened laminae
lymphatic system. - Gives rise to seven processes:
 The structure and function of the one spinous, two transverse, and
body may vary according to sex, four articular.
age, and race.
Medical Imaging

 Medical imaging is the suite of

procedures used to visualize the
body in ways applicable to medicine.
 The most commonly used medical
imaging techniques include
conventional radiography (x-rays),
computerized tomography (CT),
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
ultrasonography, and nuclear
medicine imaging.
Chapter 2: The Back
VERTEBRAL COLUMN is the central,
longitudinal bony pillar of the body. It
supports the skull, pectoral girdle, upper
limbs, and thoracic cage and, by way of the
pelvic girdle, transmits body weight to the
lower limbs. The spinal cord, the roots of the
spinal nerves, and the covering meninges
lie within the cavity of the vertebral column,
which provides great protection to those
structures.
Composition