• BIO 264 Anatomy & Physiology I
  • 1.0. MODULE 1: TERMINOLOGY/HOMEOSTASIS
  • 2.0. MODULE 2: INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • 3.0. MODULE 3: ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • 4.0. MODULE 4: THE CELL
  • 5.0. MODULE 5: CELL MEMBRANES-STRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT
  • 6.0. MODULE 6: NERVOUS SYSTEM ORGANIZATION
  • 7.0. MODULE 7: SKELETAL MUSCLE
  • 8.0. MODULE 8: METABOLISM
  • 9.0. MODULE 9: CONTROL OF BODY MOVEMENT
  • 10.0. MODULE 10: THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
  • 11.0. MODULE 11: THE BRAIN
  • 12.0. MODULE 12: SPECIAL SENSES
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  • Translations
  • 1.1.3

    Anatomical Divisions, Subdivisions and Cavities

    Image of Abdominal Quadrants

    Abdominal Quadrants. Image by BYU-I student Fall 2013

    The image above shows the quadrants of the abdominal cavity. If you look close, you will find the little extension off the colon called the appendix in the right lower quadrant. Pressure in this area that elicits severe pain is often a sign of inflammation in the appendix.

    Images of Cavities of the Body

    Cavities of the Body. Image by BYU-I student Fall 2013

    The images above show the “Cavities” of the body. The image on the left is a frontal view, and the image on the right is a mid-sagittal section.

    Image of Anatomical Plane Sections

    Anatomical Plane Sections. Image created by a BYU-Idaho student Fall 2013

    This image shows the possible ways that a “plane” could section the body. The planes are like plexiglass that go through the body in three different orientations. It is a good idea to practice naming the plane that sections a body or body part.

    Example: This picture below shows a skull that has been sectioned by the sagittal plane. The heart has been sectioned by the frontal or coronal plane.

    File:Gray194.png

    Image result for grays anatomy

    Sectioned View of Skull and Heart. These images are from Gray’s Anatomy Collection and are Public Domain.

    Sometimes, an organ can be sectioned, and one cannot tell which plane sectioned the organ just by looking at the sectioned image. For example, when an organ wraps around and around in the body, it is not obvious where a single section came from in relation to the body as a whole. This is true with blood vessels and intestines. In these cases, the sections are named as being transverse, longitudinal, or oblique. The image below is an example.

    Image of Various Sectioned Views of the Large Intestines

    Various Sectioned Views of the Large Intestines. Image created by BYU-I student Fall 2013

    This content is provided to you freely by BYU-I Books.

    Access it online or download it at https://books.byui.edu/bio_264_anatomy_phy_I/113__anatomical_divi.