Spatial, Regional, & Directional Terms

abdominal

abdomen

acromion

Outward extension of the shoulder blade forming the point of the shoulder.

antebrachial

forearm

axillary

armpit

brachial

arm

buccal

cheek

calcaneal

heel

carpal

wrist

cervical

neck

clavicles

collarbones

coxal

hip

crural

Shin/Lower leg

cubital

elbow

Antecubital

front of elbow

digital

fingers, toes

dorsal

back

dorsum

back of hand, top of foot

femoral

thigh

frontal

forehead

gluteal

buttock

inguinal

groin area

lumbar

lower back

mammary

breast

mental

chin

nasal

nose

nuchal

posterior neck

occipital

base of skull

olecranon

back of elbow

oral

mouth

orbital

eye

otic

ear

palmar

palm

patellar

kneecap

pectoral

chest

pedal

foot

pelvic

pelvis

perineal

region between the anus and external genitalia

plantar

sole of foot

popliteal

back of knee

pubic

genital

sacral

area between hips

scapular

shoulder blade

sternal

sternum

trunk

chest, abdomen, and pelvis

umbilical

belly button

vertebral

spinal column

superior (cephalic)

above

inferior (caudal)

below

anterior (ventral)

front

posterior (dorsal)

back

proximal

closer to the point of attachment to the body than another structure

distal

farther from the point of attachment to the body than another structure

lateral

away from the midline

medial

toward the midline

superficial

toward the surface

deep

away from the surface

sagittal plane

divides body into left and right

median plane

sagittal plane that divides body into equal left and right halves

transverse (horizontal) plane

divides into superior and inferior portions

frontal (coronal) plane

divides the body into anterior and posterior parts

longitudinal section

cut lengthwise

transverse (cross) section

cut at right angle to length of the organ

oblique section

a cut made across the long axis at other than a right angle