Sagittal plane | |
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The main anatomical planes of the human body, including mid-sagittal or median (red), parasagittal (yellow), frontal or coronal plane (blue) and transverse or axial plane (green) | |
Mid-sagittal section of a human skull, by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1489 | |
Details | |
Identifiers | |
Latin | plana sagittalia |
TA98 | A01.2.00.003 |
TA2 | 49 |
FMA | 11361 |
Anatomical terminology |
In anatomy, the sagittal plane (/ˈsædʒɪtəl/), or longitudinal plane, is an anatomical plane which divides the body into right and left parts.[1] The plane may be in the center of the body and split it into two halves (mid-sagittal) or away from the midline and split it into unequal parts (para-sagittal).The anatomical term sagittal was coined by Gerard of Cremona.[2]
Examples of sagittal planes include:
The term sagittal is derived from the Latin word sagitta, meaning "arrow". An image of an arrow piercing a body and passing from front (anterior) to back (posterior) on a parabolic trajectory would be one way to demonstrate the derivation of the term. Another explanation would be the notching of the sagittal suture posteriorly by the lambdoidal suture —similar to feathers on an arrow.