TEAs general orientation of human anatomy

cephalic

head

cranial

skull

facial

face

frontal

forehead

orbital / ocular

eye

otic

ear

buccal

cheek

nasal

nose

oral

mouth

mental

chin

cervical

neck

axillary

armpit

brachial

arm

antebrachial

forearm

carpal

wrist

palmar

palm

pollex

thumb

digital / phalangeal

fingers

sternal

breastbone

thoracic

chest

mammary

breast

abdominal

abdomen

umbilical

navel

coxa

hips

femoral

thigh

patella

front of knee

crural

shin

pedal

foot

tarsal

ankle

digital of phalangeal

toes

dorsum (foot)

top of foot

hallux

great toe

dorsum (hand)

back of hand

Manual

hand

pelvic

pelvis

inguinal

groin

pubic

pubis

occipital

base of skull

acromial

shoulder

scapular

shoulder blade

vertebral

spinal column

dorsal

back

olecranal / cubital

back of elbow

lumbar

loin

sacral

between hips

coccygeal

tailbone

gluteal

buttock

perineal

area between the anus and external genitals

popliteal

back of the knee

sural

calf

plantar

sole

calcaneal

heel

transverse plane (horizontal plane)

divides the body into our superior and inferior parts

• movement: twisting and rotation

front/coronal plane

separates our body from the posterior (back) and the anterior (front)

• movements: side-to-side and away + towards the midline

sagittal / lateral plane

divides the body in half (left side and right side)

• movements: front and back

anterior

front or forward-facing side of the body

• example: nose is ANTERIOR to the ears

posterior

the back or rear side of the body

• example: spine is POSTERIOR to the chest

medial

structures closer to the midline of the body

• examples: the nose is MEDIAL to the eyes

lateral

structures farther from the midline of the body / towards the sides of the body

• examples: the ears are LATERAL to the eyes

Superior

a position ABOVE or HIGHER than another part of the body

• example: eyes are superior to the mouth

inferior

a position BELOW or LOWER than another part of the body

• example: the mouth is inferior to the eyes

Proximal

point of attachment of a limb to the body

→ proximal = CLOSER

• example: the shoulder is PROXIMAL to the elbow

Distal

point of attachment of a limb to the body

→ distal = FARTHER AWAY

• example: the fingers are distal to the wrist