3.6 Chapter Summary

• Anatomical terminology is like a language built from prefixes and suffixes that help decode complex terms.
• Anatomical position is the universal starting point used to describe body structure, movement, and direction.
• Directional terms (e.g., anterior, superior, distal) describe where body parts are located in relation to one another.
• The body can be divided into three main planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse) and axes (horizontal, anteroposterior, longitudinal) to describe movement.
• Movements happen in a specific plane and around a specific axis, which are always perpendicular to each other.
• Common joint actions like flexion, extension, abduction, and rotation are used to describe how body parts move.

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT. [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat. Prompt: Summarize the following content into key takeaways.

• Abduction: Movement away from the body’s midline.
• Adduction: Movement toward the body’s midline.
• Anatomical Position: Standard reference posture: standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides, palms forward.
• Anterior: Toward the front of the body.
• Anteroposterior Axis: Front-to-back axis; allows abduction/adduction.
• Circumduction: Moving a limb in a circular motion.
• Depression: Lowering a body part.
• Distal: Further from the attachment point of a limb.
• Dorsiflexion: Raising the toes toward the shin.
• Elevation: Raising a body part.
• Eversion: Turning the sole of the foot outward.
• Extension: Straightening a joint; increasing the angle.
• External Rotation: Rotating away from the midline.
• Flexion: Bending a joint; decreasing the angle.
• Frontal Plane: Divides the body into front and back halves.
• Horizontal Axis: Side-to-side axis; allows flexion/extension.
• Inferior: Below.
• Internal Rotation: Rotating toward the midline.
• Inversion: Turning the sole of the foot inward.
• Lateral: Away from the midline.
• Longitudinal Axis: Vertical axis; allows rotation.
• Medial: Toward the midline.
• Plantarflexion: Pointing the toes downward.
• Posterior: Toward the back of the body.
• Pronation: Rotating the palm/sole downward.
• Protraction: Moving a body part forward (away from the spine).
• Proximal: Closer to the attachment point of a limb.
• Retraction: Moving a body part backward (toward the spine).
• Sagittal Plane: Divides the body into left and right halves.
• Superior: Above.
• Supination: Rotating the palm/sole upward.
• Transverse Plane: Divides the body into upper and lower halves.

OpenAI. (July 22nd, 2025). ChatGPT. [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat. Prompt: Create a simple list of key terms and their definitions in the content provided.