Kroppshalvdel

Kroppshalvdel is a Swedish term meaning half of the body. In human anatomy, the body is traditionally divided by the sagittal plane into a left and a right half. Each kroppshalvdel contains many structures that belong to that side, including limbs and portions of the chest and abdomen, as well as sections of internal organs. However, some organs do not conform strictly to a single half and may extend across the midline.

In formal anatomical language the boundary between halves is defined by planes such as the midsagittal plane and its counterparts, but in everyday usage the term remains a general, descriptive notion of one side of the body. The two halves are largely mirror images in terms of paired structures, yet certain organs show asymmetry: the heart and most of the thymus are situated more toward the left, the liver is predominantly on the right, and the spleen is on the left. Organs such as the stomach can span parts of both halves, illustrating that divisions by halves are useful in description but not always absolute.

The concept is used in clinical contexts to describe localization of symptoms or injuries, to guide imaging and surgical planning, and in discussions of neurovascular or sensory deficits that affect one side of the body. While useful for communication, kroppshalvdel is a broad term; precise anatomical terminology relies on specific planes and structures.