anatomical positions

anatomical.... positions....

anatomical position

body straight, hands at the sides, palms facing forward, feet together

prone

face down in anatomical position

supine

face up in anatomical position

anterior

the front; before

ventral

the belly side (equal to anterior when referring to the human body

posterior

the back; behind

dorsal

the back (equal to posterior when referring to the human body)

cranial / cephalic

the head

superior

above; at a higher level (in the human body, toward the head)

caudal

the tail (coccyx in humans)

inferior

below; at a lower level

medial

toward the body’s longitudinal axis

lateral

away from the body’s longitudinal axis

proximal

toward an attached base

distal

away from an attached base

superficial

at, near, or relatively close to the body surface

deep

farther from the body surface