Anatomic positions & planes

Anterior (ventral)

toward the front of the body

Posterior (dorsal)

toward the back of the body

Medial

toward the midline of the body

Lateral

toward the side of the body

proximal

nearer to the point of attachment or to a given reference point

distal

farther from the point of attachment or from a given reference point

Superior (cranial)

above ; toward the head

Inferior (caudal)

Below; toward the lower end of the spine

Superficial (external)

closer to the center of the body

Sagittal

cuts through the midline of the body from front to back, dividing the body into right and left sections

Frontal (coronal)

cuts at a right angle to the midline, from side to side, dividing the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections.

Transverse (horizontal) (axial)

cuts horizontally through the body, separating the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) sections