432 Chapter 9 Human Body Orientation
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Four standard body planes are used in anatomy and physiology:
• midsagittal (median) plane
• sagittal plane
• frontal (coronal) plane
• transverse plane
By dividing the body into parts, you can get a better idea of how organs are
positioned inside the body.
Recall Activity
1. List the four standard body planes used in anatomy and physiology. ________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _
2. Body __________________________ are imaginary, fl at surfaces that divide the body into sections. fl
3. Body planes divide the body in reference to __________________________.
Concept 3: Midsagittal and Sagittal Planes
The midsagittal and l sagittal planes divide the body into left and right sections.
Both planes start at the top of the head and continue down through the body.
The
midsagittal
plane, also known as the median plane, divides the body down
the middle into equal left and right halves. The
sagittal plane
also divides the
body into left and right sections, but not down the middle (Figure 9.3).
midsagittal plane a body
plane that divides the body
into equal left and right
halves; also called the
median plane
sagittal plane a body
plane that divides the body
into unequal left and right
sections
Midsagittal
(median) plane
Right section Left section
Sagittal
planes
© Body Scientific International
Figure 9.3 The midsagittal plane divides the body into equal left and right
halves. The sagittal plane divides the body into unequal left and right sections.