Anatomical terms of motion
Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used, describes this motion according to its direction relative to the anatomical position of the joints. Anatomists use a unified set of terms to describe most of the movements, although other, more specialized terms are necessary for describing the uniqueness of the movements such as those of the hands, feet, and eyes. In general, motion is classified according to the anatomical plane it occurs in.
Flexion and
extension are examples of
angular motions, in which two axes of a joint are brought closer together or moved further apart.
Rotational motion may occur at other joints, for example the shoulder, and are described as
internal or
external. Other terms, such as
elevation and
depression, refer to movement above or below the horizontal plane. Many anatomical terms derive from Latin terms with the same meaning.