Body Regions & Anatomical Applications
Knowing directional terms helps you describe precise locations. For example, your elbow is proximal to your wrist (closer to the body's trunk), while your mouth is anterior to your ear.
The human body is divided into major regions that help identify specific areas:
- Cephalic region: The head
- Cervical region: The neck
- Thoracic region: The chest
- Abdominal region: The belly area
Within these larger regions are more specific areas. The cephalic region includes the frontal (forehead), orbital (eyes), nasal (nose), oral (mouth), and otic (ear) regions. The upper extremity (arm) contains the axillary (armpit), brachial (upper arm), antebrachial (forearm), and carpal (wrist) regions.
The lower extremity (leg) includes the femoral (thigh), patellar (knee), crural (shin), sural (calf), calcaneal (heel), and plantar (sole of foot) regions.
🔍 Notice how medical terminology often uses Latin or Greek roots - learning these can help you decode and remember anatomical terms more easily!