The parasagittal plane refers to which of the following?

• A. A sagittal plane at the midline
• B. Any sagittal plane offset from the midline
• C. A plane that divides anterior and posterior
• D. A plane that divides superior and inferior

Answer: (B)

Planes in the body can slice left to right, front to back, or top to bottom. A parasagittal plane is a vertical plane that runs parallel to the body's midline but is offset from it. It cuts the body into left and right portions that are not equal in size, unlike the midsagittal plane, which passes through the center to create equal halves. The other two planes do different things: a plane through the midline that splits left and right is the midsagittal plane; a plane that divides the body into front and back parts is the coronal plane; a plane that divides the body into upper and lower parts is the transverse (horizontal) plane.