| linea alba | a tendinous seam which forms the midline and connects the four large, flat muscles of the abdominal wall |
| right upper quadrant | liver, gallbladder, duodenum, head of pancreas, right kidney and adrenal gland, hepatic flexure of colon, part of ascending and transverse colon |
| right lower quadrant | cecum, appendix, right ovary and tube, right ureter, and right spermatic cord |
| left upper quadrant | stomach, spleen, left lobe of liver, bady of pancreas, left kidney and adrenal, splenic flexure of colon, part of transverse and descending colon |
| left lower quadrant | part of descending colon, sigmoid colon, left ovary and tube, left ureter, and left spermatic cord |
| midline | aorta, uterus (if enlarged), bladder (if destended) |
| striae | silvery, white, linear jagged marks. created when elastic fibers in the reticular layer of the skin are broken following rapid or prolonged stretching. |
| hepatomegaly | an enlarged liver |
| costovertebral angle | found over the 12th rib on the back. place hand here, then thump it with the ulnar surface of your other hand. a thump should be felt but no pain. |
| fluid wave test | test for ascities, abnormal fluid build-up, fluid space, can have a waterbed effect. |