What is the difference between transverse and cross section

A human in the anatomical position, can be described using a coordinate system with the Z-axis going from front to back, the X-axis going from left to right, and the Y-axis going from up to down.

By imaging a patient in standard anatomical position, a radiologist can build an X-Y-Z axis around the patient to apply body planes to the images. Individual organs can also be divided by planes to help identify smaller structures within that organ. Body planes are used to describe anatomical motion in the X-Y-Z coordinate system that the body moves through. Anatomical change during embryological development is also described and measured with body planes.

For example, during human embryonic development the coronal plane is horizontal, but becomes vertical as the embryo develops into a fetus. In comparative embryology, body planes provide a basis for comparing the ways in which different types of organisms develop anatomically within the womb.

The reason is that the tissues are formed in organs at different levels in an organism. Therefore, a small number of sections are made to comprehend the whole anatomy. In all animals, the alimentary tract is generally long, so transverse sections disclose the functions and anatomy of the alimentary tract at different levels such as secretory stomach, esophagus with secretion layers, toothed mouths, and absorbing guts, etc.

Try to answer the quiz below to check what you have learned so far about the longitudinal section. Muscle cells are specialized to generate force and movement. Learn about the different types of muscle tissues in this tutorial and the molecular mechanisms of contraction Read More. Skip to content Main Navigation Search. Dictionary Articles Tutorials Biology Forum. Table of Contents. Biology definition: A longitudinal section is a section done by a plane along the long axis of a structure.

It pertains to a section done by a plane along the long axis of a structure in contrast to a cross-section , which refers to the transverse section.

Longitudinal sections would, therefore, pertain to any vertical sections, such as median, sagittal, and coronal sections. Quiz Choose the best answer. Your Name. To Email. Time is Up! Muscle Muscle cells are specialized to generate force and movement.

Related Articles The revealing of internal anatomical structures through longitudinal sections enables to make strong suggestions about the evolutionary history of modern species when those are compared with the fossil evidences. The longitudinal section is not limited to the entire body, but it could be used to refer the same dissection as described above for an organ, as well.

The longitudinal section of a skeletal muscle will show the muscle fibres with their important regions, which makes it very easy to understand the mechanism of muscle contraction and relaxation.

Transverse section is a cut made in a plane that is made across the body of an animal, a plant, an organ, or a tissue. It is usually referred as the cut made between left and right.

The transverse section usually runs between the lateral ends of an organism, from left to right or the other way around. A transverse section is right-angled with the longitudinal section. A transverse section is perpendicular to the anterior-posterior axis and is also called a cross section. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

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