  The gross features in the distribution of stars as well as warm (T >~ 100 K)
interstellar dust in the Galactic disk have been investigated using the recent
mid infrared survey by Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) at 8, 12, 14 & 21
micron bands. An attempt has been made to determine the location of the
Galactic mid-plane at various longitudes, using two approaches : (i) fitting
exponential functions to the latitude profiles and (ii) statistical
indicators.The former method is successful for the inner Galaxy (-90 < l < 90),
and quantifies characteristic angular scales along latitude, which have been
translated to linear scale heights (z_h) and radial length scales (R_l) using
geometric description of the Galactic disk. The distribution of warm dust in
the Galactic disk is found to be characterised by R_l < 6 kpc and 60 < z_h <~
100 pc, in agreement with other studies. The location of the Galactic mid-plane
as a function of longitude, for stars as well as warm dust, has been searched
for signatures of warp-like feature in their distribution, by fitting sinusoid
with phase and amplitude as parameters. In every case, the warp signature has
been detected. An identical analysis of the DIRBE/COBE data in all its ten
bands covering the entire infrared spectrum (1.25-240 micron), also leads to
detection of warp signatures with very similar phase as found from the MSX
data. Our results have been compared with those from other studies.
