Body Planes/directional terms

frontal plane

A plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections. It is also known as the coronal plane.

sagittal plan

A vertical plane that divides the body into left and right sections.

midsagital

plane that divides the body into equal left and right halves.

transverse plane

A horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) sections.

oblique

plane that cuts the body at an angle, creating sections that are not entirely horizontal or vertical.

superior

refers to a position above or higher than another part of the body.

inferior

refers to a position below or lower than another part of the body.

superficial

refers to a position closer to the surface of the body, as opposed to deeper structures.

deep

refers to a position farther away from the surface of the body, indicating greater depth.

anterior

refers to a position toward the front of the body, as opposed to posterior structures.

posterior

refers to a position toward the back of the body, contrasting with anterior structures.

proximal

refers to a position closer to the point of attachment of a limb to the body, indicating relative distance from the torso.

distal

refers to a position farther from the point of attachment or origin of a structure, as opposed to proximal.

lateral

refers to a position away from the midline of the body, indicating a relative distance from the center.

medial

refers to a position closer to the midline of the body, indicating a relative distance towards the center.

ventral

refers to the front or belly side of the body, typically used in anatomical descriptions to indicate position.

dorsal

refers to the back side of the body, typically used in anatomical descriptions to indicate position.