Medical Terminology for Regions of the Body

• The right upper quadrant (RUQ) contains the right lobe of the liver, gallbladder, and parts of the small and large intestines.
• The left upper quadrant (LUQ) contains the left lobe of the liver, stomach, pancreas, spleen, and parts of the small and large intestines.
• The right lower quadrant (RLQ) contains parts of the small and large intestines, appendix, right ureter, right ovary, and fallopian tube.
• The left lower quadrant (LLQ) contains parts of the small and large intestines, left ureter, left ovary, and fallopian tube.

Here’s a quick look at some of the smaller body regions, beginning at the head and moving downward.

Region	Where It Is
Auricular region	Around the ears
Axillary	Axillae (armpits)
Buccal	Cheeks of the face
Carpal	Wrist
Cervical	Neck
Clavicular	On each side of the suprastemal notch (small dip at top of the sternum)
Infraorbital	Below the eyes
Infrascapular	On each side of the chest, down to the last rib
Interscapular	On the back, between scapulae (shoulder blades)
Lumbar	Below the infrascapular area
Mammary	Breast area
Mental	Region of the chin
Nasal	Nose
Occipital	Lower posterior head
Orbital	Around the eyes
Pectoral	Chest
Popliteal	Behind the knee
Pubic	Below the hypogastric region (above the pubis)
Sacral	Area over the sacrum
Sternal	Over the sternum
Submental	Below the chin
Supraclavicular	Above the clavicles

More body divisions are the regions of the spinal column, also known as the back. Note the difference between the spinal column (the vertebrae) and the spinal cord (the nerves running through the column). The spinal column is made of bone tissue, and the spinal cord is composed of nerve tissue.
The spinal column is divided into five regions. Begin at the top and work downward:

• The cervical region (abbreviation C) is located in the neck region. There are seven cervical vertebrae, C1 to C7.
• The thoracic or dorsal region (abbreviation T or D) is located in the chest region. There are 12 thoracic or dorsal vertebrae, T1 to T12, or D1 to D12. Each bone in this segment is joined to a rib.
• The lumbar region (abbreviation L) is located at the loin or the flank area between the ribs and the hip bone. There are five lumbar vertebrae, L1 to L5.
• The sacral region (abbreviation S) has five bones, S1 to S5, that are fused to form one bone, the sacrum.
• The coccygeal region includes the coccyx, or tailbone, a small bone composed of four fused pieces.

Check out the body’s anatomical positions and regions, planes, and cavities.

Credit: Illustration by Kathryn Born

It is important to remember that all these terms are for directional purposes only. They provide a road map to the body.

Credit: Illustration by Kathryn Born

In a medical examination, directional planes, regions of the abdomen, and divisions of the spinal column are used often by the examiner.

Credit: Illustration by Kathryn Born