Name: anatomy sections and body planes
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:05:53.000Z
Duration: 1 min 6 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

9-12

Human Anatomy and Physiology

Levels Of Organization

Anatomical Terminology

Body Planes

The human body can be divided using imaginary lines and planes to help understand its internal organization.
When the body is upright, a straight line called the vertical axis is used as a clear and consistent reference to orient the location of body parts and the direction of movement.
Additionally, planes section the body using imaginary flat surfaces.
The three cardinal body planes are frontal, sagittal, and transverse.
The frontal or coronal plane divides the body into the anterior and posterior portions.
The sagittal plane divides the body vertically into right and left sides.
Equal division of the body through the midline results in midsagittal sections. In contrast, sectioning through the parasagittal plane results in unequal sides.
The transverse plane, perpendicular to frontal and sagittal planes, divides the body horizontally into upper and lower regions.

body planes

Body planes in anatomy are imaginary flat surfaces used as reference points to divide the body into sections for anatomical study. These planes are essential for understanding the orientation, relationships, and spatial organization of anatomical structures.
The sagittal plane is the plane that divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides. If this vertical plane runs directly down the middle of the body resulting in equal division, it is called the midsagittal or median plane. If it divides the body into unequal right and left sides, it is called a parasagittal plane or less commonly a longitudinal section.
The frontal plane is the plane that divides the body or an organ into an anterior (front) portion and a posterior (rear) portion. The frontal plane is often referred to as a coronal plane. (&#34;Corona&#34; is Latin for &#34;crown.&#34;) &#34;Coronal&#34; usually refers to the skull sections.
The transverse plane is the horizontal plane that divides the body or organ horizontally into upper and lower portions. Transverse planes produce images referred to as cross sections. Oblique sections are cuts made diagonally between the horizontal and the vertical planes but are challenging to interpret.
Applications
Imaging techniques such as sonography, computed tomography, or MRI scan different images of a patient in a standard anatomical position and build an X-Y-Z axis around the patient to apply body planes to the obtained images. Individual organs can also get divided by planes to help identify minor internal details.
Body planes also describe anatomical movements through which a body travels. An anatomist could model a limb&#39;s range of motion by measuring which planes it can move through and how far it can travel.
Anatomical change during embryological development gets measured with body planes. For example, during human embryonic development, the coronal plane is horizontal but becomes vertical as the embryo develops into a fetus.
This text is partially adapted from <a href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/">Openstax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Section 1.6: </a>Anatomical Terminology

Body planes in anatomy are imaginary flat surfaces used as reference points to divide the body into sections for anatomical study. These planes are ...

Education

JoVE Core

Anatomy and Physiology

Unit 1

Introduction to the Human Body

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

anatomy sections and body planes

Anatomy sections and body planes are imaginary flat surfaces used to divide the body for study. They help show the orientation, relationships, and spatial layout of anatomical structures. These reference planes are also useful for describing organs and body parts in a standard way.

The sagittal plane divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides. When that cut goes through the middle and makes equal halves, it is called the midsagittal or median plane. When it makes unequal right and left sides, it is called a parasagittal plane, and it may also be called a longitudinal section.

The frontal plane divides the body or an organ into anterior and posterior parts. The anterior side is the front, and the posterior side is the rear. This plane is also called the coronal plane. The word coronal comes from the Latin word for crown. In anatomy, coronal usually refers to skull sections.

The transverse plane is a horizontal plane that divides the body or an organ into upper and lower parts. Cuts made in this plane are called cross sections. Oblique sections are diagonal cuts between the horizontal and vertical planes, and they can be harder to interpret.

Body planes are also used in medical imaging. Sonography, computed tomography, and MRI create images of a patient in standard anatomical position and build an X-Y-Z axis around the body. The same planes can also divide individual organs to help identify smaller internal details.

These planes also help describe body movement. An anatomist can use them to model a limb’s range of motion by measuring which planes it moves through and how far it travels. Body planes are also used to describe changes during embryological development. For example, in human embryonic development, the coronal plane is horizontal at first and becomes vertical as the embryo develops into a fetus.

Anatomy Sections and Body Planes

overview of anatomy and physiology

How Anatomy and Physiology Work Together

Human anatomy studies the structures of the body. Some body structures are so small that they can only be seen and examined with a microscope. Others are large enough to be viewed, handled, measured, and weighed. The word anatomy comes from a Greek root meaning “to cut apart.” Early study of the human body began with observing the outside of the body and the injuries seen in soldiers and other patients. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect dead bodies to learn more. Dissection means...

structural organization of the human body: an overview

structural-organization-of-the-human-body-an-overview

Levels of Organization in the Human Body

The human body is organized in levels that build from simple parts to a complete living being. These levels increase in complexity from subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules to organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and the organism. At the chemical level, scientists study the smallest building blocks of matter. Matter is made of elements, which are pure substances such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, and iron. The smallest unit of an element is an atom, and...

functions of life

How the Human Body Keeps Going

Human life depends on metabolism, movement, development, growth, and reproduction. These functions help the body stay alive, maintain itself, and continue the species. Together, they show how the body uses energy and changes over time. Metabolism is the body’s use of energy and food molecules. It helps the body make fuel for movement, support body functions, and build and maintain body structures. Metabolism includes two kinds of reactions: anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is the process...

requirements for human life

Human Survival Needs in the Body

Human survival depends on air, water, food, a narrow temperature range, and a narrow range of atmospheric pressure. The Earth and its atmosphere provide these conditions, but the body can only function well when they stay within limits. Oxygen is one of the most important needs. Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen supports the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that make ATP. Brain cells are especially sensitive to a lack of oxygen...

what is homeostasis?

Homeostasis and Negative Feedback

Homeostasis keeps the body’s internal conditions stable. The body does this by holding each physiological condition near a set point. A set point is the value around which the normal range changes, and the normal range is the small group of values that is healthiest and most stable. Human body temperature is a common example. Its set point is about 37°C, or 98.6°F, and it can shift a little above or below that point while still staying in range. Negative feedback helps maintain homeostasis.

negative and positive feedback

Feedback Loops in Body Balance

Negative and positive feedback help keep body conditions stable. These feedback loops control many body processes and support homeostasis, which is the maintenance of a steady internal environment. Negative feedback reduces a change and brings a system back toward its normal state. Positive feedback increases a change and pushes a process further in the same direction. Together, they show how the body can fine-tune responses when conditions shift. These control systems are important in many...

homeostatic imbalance

How Feedback Failure Disrupts Homeostasis

Homeostasis keeps the body’s internal conditions stable so cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems can work properly. The body uses control systems to regulate temperature, blood pressure, pH balance, and fluid balance. These controls depend on feedback loops, which can be positive or negative. Homeostatic imbalance happens when those feedback loops fail and the body can no longer maintain a stable internal environment. Injury, disease, environmental changes, genetic mutations, and aging can...

anatomical terminology

Anatomical Terms and Body Position

Anatomical terms help describe the human body clearly in biology and medicine. Health care professionals and anatomists use this standard language to avoid confusion and to make descriptions more precise. Most anatomical words come from Greek and Latin roots, and these roots usually stay the same because the languages are rarely used in everyday conversation. Many anatomical words are built from a root plus a prefix or suffix. The root often names an organ, tissue, or condition. The prefix or...

anatomical positions

Body Positions Used in Anatomy

Body positions used in anatomy give a shared way to describe where body parts are and how they face. These standard references help people talk about anatomical structures with the same meaning. The anatomical position is the main reference point for body orientation. In anatomical position, the body stands upright and faces forward. The feet are parallel and flat on the floor. The arms rest at the sides with the palms facing forward, and the head and eyes point forward. The most common...

regional terms

Anatomy Regions and Body Landmark Terms

Anatomy regions and body landmark terms help identify specific parts of the human body. These regional terms divide the body into areas with structures that support similar functions. They also make it easier to describe the exact area affected by an injury or disease. The human body is organized into two major regions: the axial region and the appendicular region. The axial region includes the body from the head to the abdomen and forms the central body axis. The appendicular region includes...

directional terms

Anatomical Direction and Body Position

Anatomical direction and body position terms help describe where one body structure is located in relation to another. These terms use comparisons, such as one tissue being inferior to another or a tumor being superficial to a deeper structure. They are based on the standard anatomical reference position, which uses the body in an upright pose. Anterior and posterior are a common pair of directional terms. Anterior, also called ventral, means toward the front of the body. Posterior, also...

Anatomy sections and body planes are imaginary flat surfaces used to divide the body for study. They help show the orientation, relationships, and spatial layout of anatomical structures. These reference planes are also useful for describing organs and body parts in a standard way. The sagittal plane divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides. When that cut goes through the middle and makes equal halves, it is called the midsagittal or median plane. When it makes unequal...

anatomical movements

Body Joint Motion Terms

Body joint motion terms describe how bones and muscles move at different joints. These standard names make it easier to talk about range of motion in the body. They are used to describe actions at the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist, fingers, toes, and spine. Flexion and extension are movements in the sagittal plane, also called the anterior-posterior plane. Flexion is the forward bending motion of the head or vertebral column. Extension is the backward movement or straightening of a joint,...

abdominal regions and quadrants

Abdominal Pain and Organ Location

The abdominal cavity is divided into quadrants and regions to help locate organs and describe pain clearly. Clinicians and anatomists use imaginary lines to mark the abdominopelvic cavity. This system makes it easier to communicate about a patient’s symptoms or a suspicious mass. The simpler method divides the area into four quadrants. One horizontal line and one vertical line cross at the umbilicus, or navel. These quadrants are the right upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left upper...

key terms and concepts

Learn how sagittal, frontal, transverse, and oblique body planes are used in anatomy, imaging, movement, and embryonic development.

Anatomy Sections and Body Planes | JoVE K12

anatomy and physiology

JoVE Core Anatomy and Physiology showcases the anatomical and physiological details of the human body in comprehensive, clear, and engaging video animations. This collection of lessons focuses on the structures, components, functions, and requirements of the human body. It is complemented by scientist-in-action videos that demonstrate the application of this knowledge in real-world medical and research settings.

Overview of Anatomy and Physiology

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Structural Organization of the Human Body: An Overview

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Functions of Life

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Characteristics of Life

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Levels of Organization

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Hierarchy of Organization

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Hierarchy of Organization

Tissues

Tissues are a group of cells that share a common embryonic origin. Microscopic observation reveals that the cells in a tissue share morphological features ...

The Scientific Method

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Inductive Reasoning

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Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is the type of logic used in hypothesis-based science. In deductive reasoning, the pattern of thinking moves in the ...

Correlation and Causation

Correlation and CausationStatistical tests can calculate whether there is a relationship, or correlation, between independent and dependent variables. A ...

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of defining and naming groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. It uses a hierarchy of increasingly ...

Phylogeny

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Types of Tissues

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Types of Tissues

What is Homeostasis?

Maintaining homeostasis requires that the body continuously maintain its internal conditions. Each physiological condition has a particular set point, ...

Negative and Positive Feedback

Homeostatic Imbalance

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment within the body, which is crucial for the proper functioning of cells, tissues, organs, ...

pH Homeostasis

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Feedback Loops

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Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

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Homeostasis

Knowledge of anatomy is essential to understand human biology and medicine. Anatomists and health care professionals use standard terminology to describe ...

Anatomical Positions

In anatomy, several standard anatomical positions are used as references for describing the position and orientation of different body parts. These ...

Regional Terms

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Directional Terms

Directional terms are essential for describing the relative locations of different body structures. For instance, an anatomist might describe one band of ...

Anatomical Movements

Anatomical movements refer to the various actions or motions that can be performed by the body&#39;s joints and muscles. These movements are described ...

Abdominal Regions and Quadrants

To promote clear communication, for instance, about the location of a patient&#39;s abdominal pain or a suspicious mass, anatomists and clinicians ...

Anatomical Terminology

Content elaboration: Standard anatomical position is to be used as a reference point. Each area of the human body is identified by region. The features and structures of the body, relative to each other, are described by directional terms. The body and its organs can be divided by planes. The organs are located in cavities.

Anatomy Sections and Body Planes

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