Anatomical Terms for the Front of the Trunk - Online Tutor, Practice Problems & Exam Prep

Understanding anatomical terms for the front of the trunk is essential in anatomy. Key terms include axillary (armpit), mammary (breast), umbilical (navel), inguinal (groin), pubic (genital region), thoracic (chest), sternal (middle of the chest), abdominal (abdomen), and pelvic (pelvis). These terms help in identifying body regions and their functions, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy and physiology.

The Front of the Trunk

Now we're going to learn some anatomical terms for the front of the trunk. Quick reminder: every anatomy class, every professor has a slightly different list of words they want you to know, so check your notes to make sure that you are studying the exact right list of words. First off, we have axillary. The axillary region is the armpit. I remember that because if I swing an axe, I'm going to raise up my arm and you're going to see my axillary region.

You're going to see my armpit if I swing an axe. Swing an axe, axillary, armpit. Next up, we have mammary. Mammary is the breast. I remember that one because mammals make milk.

Mammals and mammary come from the same root. One thing all mammals have in common, they have mammary glands that make milk. Those mammary glands are located in the breast. So mammary, breast. Next, we have umbilical.

Umbilical is the navel, and, you know, I'm sure you've heard of cutting the cord when a baby is born. The cord that you cut is the umbilical cord. That remnant of your umbilical cord is your belly button. So belly button or navel, umbilical. Next, we have inguinal.

Inguinal is the groin. I remember that one because inguinal kinda sounds like ingroinal, and inguinal is the groin. Next, we have pubic. Pubic is just the region near your genitals. You're probably familiar with the pubic region.

However, if you need a memory tool, don't show your pubic region in public. Next up, we have thoracic. Thoracic is just the chest, kind of region of your ribs or inside your ribs. It's also sometimes called the thorax. So your thorax, your thoracic region, is your chest.

Your sternal region. Your sternal region is the middle of your chest. That middle of your chest, the sternum, is the bone that's between your ribs. So the sternum is in the sternal region. The sternal region is the middle of your chest.

The abdominal region. The abdominal region is your abdomen, the region sort of below your ribs. The abdominal region, your abs are in your abdominal region. That's where your 6 pack is, or at least your 6 pack. Abs in the abdominal region, abdominal region is the abdomen.

Finally, we have the pelvic region. The pelvic region is going to be the pelvis and you have a bone, right? You can feel your hip bones. Those hip bones are part of the pelvis that sort of make a bowl that defines the bottom of the trunk of your body. That bowl is the pelvis, and anything inside that bowl is inside the pelvic region.

So pelvis is the pelvic region. With that, we've just learned 9 more terms, and I'll see you in the next video.

Anatomical Terms for the Front of the Trunk Example 1

Alright. So let's try to use some of those anatomical terms that we just learned to try and figure out where some of these structures are located on the body. First up, we have the mammary glands. Take a second. Do you know where mammary glands are going to be?

Alright. There's a decent chance you already knew this one. Remember, mammals make milk with the mammary. Mammary glands are the glands that make milk, so the mammary glands are located in the breast. Next up, we have the umbilical vein.

Where do you think the umbilical vein is going to be located? Alright. In the developing fetus, the umbilical cord connects the fetus to the placenta and exchanges nutrients with the mom. So the vein is going to be carrying blood up that umbilical cord. So for our purposes, we're going to say that it passes through the navel or the belly button.

Alright. Next up, we have the inguinal canal. Where do you think the inguinal canal is going to be? Alright. Keyword, inguinal.

Remember, inguinal, I said, reminds me of inguinal. The inguinal canal is in the groin. And the inguinal canal is a small passageway through the muscles of the abdomen that some blood vessels and other things pass through. Alright. Next up, we have the pubic symphysis.

Where do you think the pubic symphysis is going to be? Okay. The pubic symphysis, pubic, we said, is the region sort of near where your genitals are. The pubic symphysis is actually the part of the bone, part of your pelvis. You can feel the pubic symphysis.

It's the bony part right between your legs, sort of right near the genitals that you can feel in front. So we're going to say for this one, this is actually right at the front of the pelvis. But if you said it was in the region of the genitals, you'd be right as well. Alright? With that, we have some more practice problems below.

Give them a try.

Which term or terms refers to an area that is inferior to the axillary region?

• A. Inguinal
• B. Umbilical
• C. Abdomen
• D. A-C are correct.

Your thoracic vertebrae are likely found in what region of the back based on the anatomical terms?

• A. Neck
• B. Midback
• C. Lower Back
• D. Tailbone

If you experience an inguinal hernia while lifting a large box, what area will you grab in pain?

• A. Neck
• B. Lower Back
• C. Groin
• D. Naval

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What is the axillary region and how can I remember it?

The axillary region refers to the armpit. A helpful way to remember this is by thinking of the action of swinging an axe. When you swing an axe, you raise your arm, exposing your armpit. Therefore, 'axillary' is associated with the armpit. This mnemonic can make it easier to recall the term during your studies.

What is the mammary region and why is it called that?

The mammary region refers to the breast. The term 'mammary' is derived from the fact that mammals produce milk through mammary glands located in the breast. This connection between mammals and milk production can help you remember that the mammary region is the breast.

What is the umbilical region and how is it related to the umbilical cord?

The umbilical region is the area around the navel or belly button. It is named after the umbilical cord, which is cut at birth. The remnant of the umbilical cord forms the belly button. This association with the umbilical cord can help you remember that the umbilical region is the navel area.

What is the inguinal region and how can I remember it?

The inguinal region refers to the groin area. A mnemonic to remember this is that 'inguinal' sounds somewhat like 'ingroinal,' which can remind you of the groin. This can be a useful tool to recall the term during your anatomy studies.

What is the thoracic region and what does it encompass?

The thoracic region refers to the chest area, including the region of the ribs or inside the ribs. It is sometimes called the thorax. This region encompasses the chest and is crucial for protecting vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Understanding the thoracic region is essential for comprehending the structure and function of the upper trunk.