Overview
This lecture explains the three main anatomical body planes and their significance in medical imaging and kinesiology for understanding three-dimensional orientation and movement.
Importance of Body Planes
- Body planes help describe orientation in three-dimensional space for humans.
- They are crucial for interpreting medical imaging (e.g., CT scans) and studying human movement (kinesiology).
The Three Main Body Planes
- The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right halves.
- If the sagittal plane is exactly in the middle, it is called the midsagittal plane.
- If it is off-center, it is called the parasagittal plane.
- The frontal (coronal) plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) halves.
- The transverse (cross) plane divides the body into superior (top) and inferior (bottom) halves.
Variations of Body Planes
- Oblique planes and off-center transverse planes may also exist, but the sagittal, frontal, and transverse are the main planes.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Sagittal plane — divides the body into left and right parts.
- Midsagittal plane — sagittal plane exactly at the midline, making equal left and right halves.
- Parasagittal plane — sagittal plane offset from the midline, making unequal left and right halves.
- Frontal (coronal) plane — divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) parts.
- Transverse (cross) plane — divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts.
- Oblique plane — divides the body at an angle, not along the standard planes.
- Anterior — front side of the body.
- Posterior — back side of the body.
- Superior — toward the top of the body.
- Inferior — toward the bottom of the body.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review diagrams of body planes to visually reinforce these concepts.
- Practice labeling the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes on anatomical images.