Basic Human Anatomy
What this domain tests
Basic human anatomy in this vocational course focuses on anatomical position, directional terms, body planes, the skeleton, body cavities and the location of major organs relevant to sample collection and patient examination.
Core rules
- In the anatomical position the person stands erect, face forward, arms at the sides with palms forward, and feet together.
- Use consistent directional terms: superior/inferior, anterior/posterior, medial/lateral, proximal/distal, superficial/deep. Right and left refer to the patient's right and left, not the observer's.
- The main planes are sagittal, coronal (frontal) and transverse (horizontal).
- The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column and thoracic cage; the appendicular skeleton includes the limbs and girdles.
- Major cavities: cranial, vertebral, thoracic (containing mediastinum, pleural cavities and pericardium) and abdominopelvic. The diaphragm separates thoracic from abdominal cavities.
- Surface landmarks help in procedures: the antecubital fossa for venepuncture, the iliac crest for bone marrow aspiration, and McBurney point in the right lower quadrant for appendicitis.
Worked example
A patient has pain that began near the umbilicus and later settled in the right iliac fossa. Reasoning: the appendix lies in the right iliac fossa; early visceral pain is poorly localized around the umbilicus, and later parietal irritation localizes to the right lower quadrant. This is an anatomical correlation, not a diagnosis.
Traps
- Confusing supine (face up) with prone (face down).
- Using proximal/distal for the trunk instead of limbs.
- Calling the patient's left side the observer's left.
- Placing the diaphragm below the abdominal cavity.