Surface projections of the organs of the trunk

Surface anatomy (also called superficial anatomy and visual anatomy) is the study of the external features of the body of an animal.Seeley (2003) chap.1 p.2 In birds, this is termed ''topography''. Surface anatomy deals with anatomical features that can be studied by sight, without dissection. As such, it is a branch of

gross anatomy Gross anatomy is the study of anatomy at the visible or macroscopic level. The counterpart to gross anatomy is the field of histology, which studies microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy of the human body or other animals seeks to understand the ...

, along with endoscopic and radiological anatomy.Standring (2008) ''Introduction'', ''Anatomical nomenclature'', p.2 Surface anatomy is a descriptive science. In particular, in the case of human surface anatomy, these are the form and proportions of the human body and the surface landmarks which correspond to deeper structures hidden from view, both in static pose and in motion. In addition, the science of surface anatomy includes the theories and systems of body proportions and related artistic canons. The study of surface anatomy is the basis for depicting the human body in classical art. Some pseudo-sciences such as physiognomy, phrenology and palmistry rely on surface anatomy.

Human surface anatomy

Surface anatomy of the thorax

Knowledge of the surface anatomy of the thorax (chest) is particularly important because it is one of the areas most frequently subjected to

physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, clinical examination, or medical checkup, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a Disease, medical condition. It generally consists of a series of ...

, like

auscultation Auscultation (based on the Latin verb ''auscultare'' "to listen") is listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope. Auscultation is performed for the purposes of examining the circulatory system, circulatory and resp ...

and

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

.Drake (2009) Ch.3 ''Thorax - Thorax surface anatomy'', pp. 224-6 and Fig. 3.96 A In cardiology, Erb's point refers to the third intercostal space on the left sternal border where S2 heart sound is best auscultated. Some sources include the fourth left interspace. Human female

breast The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...

s are located on the chest wall, most frequently between the second and sixth rib.

Anatomical landmarks

# On the trunk of the body in the thoracic area, the shoulder in general is the acromial, while the curve of the shoulder is the deltoid. # The back as a general area is the dorsum or dorsal area, and the lower back as the limbus or lumbar region. # The shoulderblades are the scapular area and the breastbone is the sternal region. # The abdominal area is the region between the chest and the

pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

. # The breast is called the mamma or mammary, the armpit as the

axilla The axilla (: axillae or axillas; also known as the armpit, underarm or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the shoulder joint. It includes the axillary space, an anatomical space within the shoulder girdle between the arm a ...

and axillary, and the

navel The navel (clinically known as the umbilicus; : umbilici or umbilicuses; also known as the belly button or tummy button) is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord. Structure The u ...

as the umbilicus and umbilical. # The pelvis is the lower torso, between the abdomen and the thighs. # The

groin In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

, where the thigh joins the trunk, are the inguen and inguinal area. # The entire arm is referred to as the brachium and brachial, the front of the elbow as the antecubitis and antecubital, the back of the elbow as the olecranon or olecranal, the forearm as the antebrachium and antebrachial, the wrist as the carpus and carpal area, the

hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...

as the manus and manual, the palm as the palma and palmar, the thumb as the pollex, and the

finger A finger is a prominent digit (anatomy), digit on the forelimbs of most tetrapod vertebrate animals, especially those with prehensile extremities (i.e. hands) such as humans and other primates. Most tetrapods have five digits (dactyly, pentadact ...

s as the digits,

phalanges The phalanges (: phalanx ) are digit (anatomy), digital bones in the hands and foot, feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the Thumb, thumbs and Hallux, big toes have two phalanges while the other Digit (anatomy), digits have three phalanges. ...

, and phalangeal. # The buttocks are the gluteus or gluteal region and the pubic area is the pubis. # Anatomists divide the lower limb into the thigh (the part of the limb between the hip and the knee) and the leg (which refers only to the area of the limb between the knee and the ankle). # The thigh is the

femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...

and the femoral region. # The kneecap is the patella and patellar while the back of the knee is the popliteus and popliteal area. # The leg (between the knee and the ankle) is the crus and crural area, the lateral aspect of the leg is the peroneal area, and the calf is the sura and sural region. # The ankle is the tarsus and tarsal, and the heel is the calcaneus or calcaneal. The foot is the pes and pedal region, and the sole of the foot the planta and plantar. # As with the fingers, the toes are also called the digits, phalanges, and phalangeal area. # The big toe is referred to as the hallux.

List of features

Following are lists of surface anatomical features in humans and other animals. Sorted roughly from head to tail, cranial to caudal. Homologues share a bullet point and are separated by commas. Subcomponents are nested. Class in which component occurs in ''italic''.

In humans

In other animals

Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...

* Tentacle '' Cephalopoda'' **

Antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...

** Crest ** Hood ** Horn ** Mane ** Eye ** Ear ** Snout *** Nose, Trunk **** Nostril *** Whiskers *** Beak '' Aves only'',

Mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

**** Lip ''not in Aves'' ***** Philtrum **** Jaw ''not in Aves'' **** Gums ''not in Aves'' **** Teeth ''not in Aves'', Tusk **** Tongue * Throat ** Vocal sac '' Ranidae'' *

Vertebral column The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmente ...

(extends dorsally) ** Thorax ** Udder,

Mammary gland A mammary gland is an exocrine gland that produces milk in humans and other mammals. Mammals get their name from the Latin word ''mamma'', "breast". The mammary glands are arranged in organs such as the breasts in primates (for example, human ...

** Gills ** Arm ''

Mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

ia'', '' Amphibia'', Fin ''

Fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

'',

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

'' Aves'' **

Elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...

Hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...

** Fingers ( Thumb:

Primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...

) ** Knee ** Leg ** Foot *** Toe **** Hoof, Claw, Nail (anatomy), Nail (beak) **** Webbing *

Abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

** Pouch '' Marsupialia'' ** Gastro- genitourinary system ***

Vulva In mammals, the vulva (: vulvas or vulvae) comprises mostly external, visible structures of the female sex organ, genitalia leading into the interior of the female reproductive tract. For humans, it includes the mons pubis, labia majora, lab ...

(female) '' Placentalia'' ***

Penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...

(male) '' Amniota'' *** Scrotum (male) '' Boreoeutheria'' *** Urogenital papillae '' Teleostei'' *** Cloaca '' Aves'', '' Elasmobranchii'', '' Reptilia'', '' Amphibia'', '' Monotremata'', '' Sarcopterygii'' *** Anus ''

Theria Theria ( or ; ) is a scientific classification, subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the Placentalia, placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-lay ...

'', '' Teleostei'', '' Invertebrates'' *

Skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

'' Vertebrata'' ** Feather '' Aves'', Scale, Hair ''

ia'', Fur ''

ia'' **

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

** Tail

Notes

References

* * * Standring, Susan (2008) '' Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice'', 39th Edition. . Human surface anatomy photos at pp. 947, 1406-1410 Figs. 56.3, 110.12, 110.13, 110.15, 110.22