17.1: Appendix A- Osteology - Directional Terms

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 138568

Beth Shook & Alex Perrone

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

Learning Objectives

Learn terms for anatomical planes and directional terms used in osteology
Practice using directional terms to refer to familiar body parts

Directional Terms

Format: In-person or online

The three planes most commonly used in anatomical and medical imaging are the sagittal, frontal (or coronal), and transverse planes.

Author: Alex Perrone and Beth Shook

Source: Adapted from Anatomical Terms Worksheet BIO 250. BOOST Consortium, Wallace Community College Selma, and used under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Time needed: 20-30 minutes

Supplies Needed

Student worksheet (attached)

Readings

Organ, Jason and Jessica Byram. 2019. Appendix A: Osteology. Explorations.

Introduction

This brief assignment introduces students to osteology by allowing them to learn and practice using anatomical terms.

Steps

Introduce the concept of directional terms and how they are used in both osteology and anthropology.
Go over the names of specific anatomical planes, paired directional terms, and anatomical regions (e.g. cranial and post-cranial)
Students can work through the worksheet independently or in pairs.

Conclusion

When students have completed their worksheets, play a game to see how well they have learned the terms. For example, the class can play a game of “Simon Says”. For Simon says, the instructor can say “Simon says to draw the __ plane in the air” or “Simon says to indicate ‘lateral’” by pointing. Students who illustrate the wrong directional term or who draw/point to something when Simon didn’t say so, will be out of the game.

Adapting for Online Learning

If this is an in-person lab, rank how adaptable to online learning it would be(mark in bold):

1 Not adaptable 2 Possible to adapt 3 Easy to adapt

These worksheets can be done individually or in pairs, face-to-face or virtually. If you want to do the activity synchronously, students could work in pairs or groups of three to fill out copies of a Google Doc or Google Slides. For the conclusion, Simon Says could be played synchronously with video on.

For Further Exploration

Essential Skeleton 4 App. 3D4Medical from Elsevier for the iPad or iPhone.

Get Body Smart. https://www.getbodysmart.com/skeletal-system

References

Organ, Jason and Jessica Byram. 2019. “Appendix A: Osteology.” In Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, edited by Beth Shook, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera, and Lara Braff. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. http://explorations.americananthro.org/

Image Attributions

Planes of the Body (Anatomy & Physiology, Figure 1.14) by OpenStax was modified for Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology (some labels modified) and is used under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Anatomical Planes by CFCF is used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 License.

Directional Terms Applied to the Human Body (Anatomy & Physiology, Figure 1.13) by OpenStax was modified (labels changed, arrows added) is used under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Directional Terms

Label the Diagrams

Label the three anatomical planes below. Then label the dotted line that divides the body into equal right and left halves.

Label the letters A through F on the diagram below with the corresponding directional terms. Please note that A and B are on the chart twice but only need to be labeled once.

Word Match

Write in the term that best corresponds with the definitions in the table. Select terms from the word bank below.

Anterior Lateral Proximal

Cranial Medial Superior

Distal Postcranial

Inferior Posterior

Anatomical Term	Definition
	Away from the body, along a limb
	Pertaining to all of the skeleton except the skull
	Towards the top, or above
	Pertaining to the head
	Towards the body, along a limb
	Back, or at the back of
	Towards the bottom, or below
	Away from the midline of the body
	Front, or in front of
	Toward the midline of the body

Draw a line between terms in the two columns to match the paired terms.

Proximal Distal

Medial Inferior

Anterior Posterior

Superior Lateral

Complete the Sentence

Complete these sentences using the terms superior and inferior.

The nose is ____________________ to the forehead.

The sternum is ____________________ to the belly button.

The head is ____________________ to the body.

Complete these sentences using the terms anterior and posterior.

The heel is ____________________ to the toes.

The belly button is ____________________ to the spine.

The clavicle (collarbone) is ____________________ to the scapula (shoulder blade).

Complete these sentences using the terms lateral and medial.

The arms are ______________ to the midline.

The neck is ______________ to the shoulders.

The hips are ______________ to the belly button.

Complete these sentences using the terms proximal and distal.

The fingers are ______________ to the elbow.

The knee is ______________ to the foot.

The wrist is ______________ to the shoulder joint.