introduction to anatomy

1. INTRODUCTION TO ANATOMY
K.SUNDARAGANESH
LECTURER IN PHYSIOTHERAPY
ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY

2. DEFINITION ANATOMY
The scientific study of the structure of human
or animal bodies.
The word “anatomy” comes from the Greek
words “ana,” meaning “up,” and “tome,”
meaning “a cutting.” Traditionally, studies of
anatomy have involved cutting up, or
dissecting, organisms. Now, however, imaging
technology can show us much about how the
inside of a body works, reducing the need for
dissection..

3. SUBDIVISIONS
• The study of anatomy includes many sub
specialties.
• Human anatomy consists of two main
divisions: Macroscopic or gross anatomy.
Microscopic anatomy.

4. GROSS ANATOMY
• Gross anatomy studies body structure with
out microscope.
• Gross anatomy is subdivided into surface
anatomy (the external body), regional
anatomy (specific regions of the body), and
systemic anatomy (specific organ systems).

5. MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY
• Microscopic anatomy (Histology) requires the
use of microscope to study tissues that form
the various organs of the body.
• Microscopic anatomy is subdivided into
cytology (the study of cells) and histology (the
study of tissues).

6. LEVEL OF STRUCTURAL
ORGANIZATION OF THE BODY
• The human body has different structural levels of
organization, starting with atoms molecules and
compounds and increasing in size and complexity
to cells, tissues, organs and the systems that
make up the complete organism.

7. ATOMS MOLECULES AND COMPOUNDS
• Atoms molecules and
compounds: - At its
simplest level, the body is
composed of atoms. The
most common elements
in living organism are
carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen
phosphorus and sulfur.
• Atoms → Molecule →
Compounds.

8. CELL
• Cell: The smallest
independent units of
life. All life depends on
the many chemical
activities of cells. Some
of the basic functions of
cell are: growth,
metabolism, irritability
and reproduction.

9. TISSUE
• Tissue: tissue is
made up of many
similar cells that
perform a specific
function. The various
tissues of the body
are divided in to four
groups. These are
epithelial,
connective, nervous
and muscle tissue.

10. ORGAN
• Organ: - Is an integrated
collection of two or
more kinds of tissue
that works together to
perform specific
function. For example:
Stomach is made of all
type of tissues

11. SYSTEM
• System: Is a group of
organs that work
together to perform
major function.
• For example:
Respiratory system
contains several organs.

12. REGIONS OF THE HUMAN BODY
Back and Trunk.
The torso includes the back and trunk. The trunk includes
the thorax (chest) and abdomen. At the lower end of the
trunk is the pelvis. The perineum is the portion of the
body forming the floor of the pelvis. The lungs, the heart,
and the digestive system are found in the trunk.
Head and Neck.
The brain, eyes, ears, mouth, pharynx, and larynx are
found in this region. Members.
Upper member includes a shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist,
and hand.
Lower member includes a hip, thigh, leg, ankle, and foot.

13. Anterior view

14. Posterior view

15. WHAT IS ANATOMICAL POSITION?
• Anatomical position, or standard anatomical
position, refers to the specific body orientation
used when describing an individual’s anatomy.
Standard anatomical position of the human
body consists of the body standing upright and
facing forward with the legs parallel to one
another. The upper limbs, or arms, hang at
either side and the palms face forward.

17. SUPERIOR-INFERIOR
• Superior and inferior
come from the Latin
words meaning “above”
and below”. In standard
anatomical position, the
head is the most
superior part of the
body, and the feet are
the most inferior.

18. MEDIAL-LATERAL
• Lateral describes the
parts of the body that
are toward the sides,
while medial describes
the middle of the body.
If a part of the body is
lateral, it can mean left
lateral or right lateral.

19. DORSAL-VENTRAL
• The dorsal side is the back
side of an organism. The
ventral side is the belly side
of an organism. When a
human is in standard
anatomical position, the
ventral side is facing the
viewer. When a four-legged
animal such as a dog is in
standard anatomical
position, the ventral side is
their belly, which is parallel
to the ground.

20. PROXIMAL-DISTAL
• Proximal and distal are
used to describe bodily
appendages such as
limbs. The proximal part
of a limb is the part close
to where it joins the body,
while the distal part is the
part furthest away. For
example, the tips of our
fingers are the most distal
part of our arms.

22. ANATOMICAL PLANES
• The anatomical position
is further standardized
by dividing the body
into three anatomical
planes.
• A plane is an imaginary
flat surface passing
through the body or
organ which divides the
structure.

23. FRONTAL (CORONAL) PLANE
1) Frontal (Coronal)
Plane: is vertical and
extends from one side
of the body to the
other. It divides the
body into front and
back sections.

24. SAGITTAL (MEDIAL) PLANE
2) Sagittal (Medial)
Plane: is vertical and
extends from the front
of the body to the back.
It divides the body into
right and left sections.

25. TRANSVERSE (HORIZONTAL) PLANE
3) Transverse
(Horizontal) Plane: is
horizontal and divides
the body into upper and
lower segments

26. FRONTAL (MEDIO-LATERAL) AXIS
• 3 Primary Axes of
Rotation
• 1. Frontal (Medio-
Lateral) Axis:
Runs from side to side
Perpendicular to
Sagittal Plane
Typically
flexion/extension

27. SAGITTAL (ANTERO-POSTERIOR ) AXIS
2. Sagittal (Antero-
Posterior ) Axis:
Runs from front to
back
Perpendicular to
the Coronal Plane
Typically
abduction/adduction
movements

28. LONGITUDINAL (VERTICAL) AXIS
3. Longitudinal
(Vertical) Axis:
Runs straight through
the top of the head
down between the feet
Perpendicular to the
Transverse Plane
Typically a rotation
type of movement

29. ANATOMICAL TERMS OF MOVEMENT
• Anatomical terms of movement are used to
describe the actions of muscles upon the
skeleton. Muscles contract to produce
movement at joints, and the subsequent
movements can be precisely described using
this terminology.

30. FLEXION AND EXTENSION
Flexion and extension are movements
that occur in the sagittal plane.
• Flexion refers to a movement
that decreases the angle
between two body parts. Flexion
at the elbow is decreasing the
angle between the ulna and the
humerus. When the knee flexes,
the ankle moves closer to the
buttock, and the angle between
the femur and tibia gets smaller.

31. EXTENSION
• Extension refers to a
movement that
increases the angle
between two body
parts. Extension at the
elbow is increasing the
angle between the ulna
and the humerus.
Extension of the knee
straightens the lower
limb.

32. ABDUCTION AND ADDUCTION
• abduction and adduction
are movements that
occur in the frontal plane.
• Abduction is a movement
away from the midline –
just as abducting
someone is to take them
away. For example,
abduction of the shoulder
raises the arms out to the
sides of the body.

33. ADDUCTION
• Adduction is a movement
towards the midline.
Adduction of the hip
squeezes the legs
together.
• In fingers and toes, the
midline used is not the
midline of the body, but
of the hand and foot
respectively. Therefore,
abducting the fingers
spreads them out.

34. MEDIAL AND LATERAL ROTATION
• Medial and lateral rotation
describe movement of the
limbs around their transverse
plane:
• Medial rotation is a rotational
movement towards the
midline. It is sometimes
referred to as internal
rotation. To understand this,
we have two scenarios to
imagine. Firstly, with a straight
leg, rotate it to point the toes
inward.
• Lateral rotation is a rotating
movement away from the
midline. This is in the opposite
direction to the movements
described above.

35. ELEVATION AND DEPRESSION
• Elevation refers to
movement in a superior
direction (e.g. shoulder
shrug), depression refers
to movement in an
inferior direction.

36. PROTRACTION AND RETRACTION
• Protraction describes the
anterolateral movement of
the scapula on the thoracic
wall that allows the shoulder
to move anteriorly. In
practice, this is the
movement of ‘reaching out’
to something.
• Retraction refers to the
posteromedial movement of
the scapula on the thoracic
wall, which causes the
shoulder region to move
posteriorly i.e. picking
something up.

37. PRONATION AND SUPINATION
• This is easily confused with
medial and lateral rotation, but
the difference is subtle. With
your hand resting on a table in
front of you, and keeping your
shoulder and elbow still, turn
your hand onto its back, palm
up. This is the supine position,
and so this movement
is supination.
• Again, keeping the elbow and
shoulder still, flip your hand
onto its front, palm down. This
is the prone position, and so this
movement is named pronation.

38. DORSIFLEXION AND
PLANTARFLEXION/PALMARFLEXION
• Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion
are terms used to describe
movements at the ankle. They
refer to the two surfaces of
the foot; the dorsum (superior
surface) and the plantar
surface (the sole).
• Dorsiflexion refers to
extension at the ankle, so that
the foot points more
superiorly. Similarly there is a
term for the hand.
• Plantarflexion refers extension
at the ankle, so that the foot
points inferiorly. Similarly
there is a term for the hand,
which is palmarflexion.

39. INVERSION AND EVERSION
• Inversion and eversion are
movements which occur at the
ankle joint, referring to the
rotation of the foot around its
long axis.
• Inversion involves the
movement of the sole towards
the median plane – so that the
sole faces in a medial
direction.
• Eversion involves the
movement of the sole away
from the median plane – so
that the sole faces in a lateral
direction.

40. OPPOSITION AND REPOSITION
• A pair of movements that are
limited to humans and some
great apes, these terms apply
to the additional movements
that the hand and thumb can
perform in these species.
• Opposition brings the thumb
and little finger together.
• Reposition is a movement that
moves the thumb and the
little finger away from each
other, effectively reversing
opposition.

41. CIRCUMDUCTION
• Circumduction can be
defined as a conical
movement of a limb
extending from the joint
at which the movement is
controlled.
• It is sometimes talked
about as a circular
motion, but is more
accurately conical due to
the ‘cone’ formed by the
moving limb.

42. THANK YOU