Directional Terms and Body planes

What is the anatomical position?

The standard reference position in which the body stands upright faces forward arms at the sides and palms facing forward.

What does the coronal plane divide the body into?

Anterior (front) and posterior (back) parts.

What is another name for the coronal plane?

The frontal plane.

What does the sagittal plane divide the body into?

Left and right parts.

What is the median plane?

A sagittal plane that runs along the midline and divides the body into equal left and right halves.

What does the transverse plane divide the body into?

Superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts.

What is another name for the transverse plane?

The horizontal plane.

What direction does the vertical axis run?

Inferior to superior.

Which planes intersect to form the vertical axis?

The sagittal and coronal planes.

What direction does the horizontal axis run?

Left to right.

Which planes intersect to form the horizontal axis?

The transverse and coronal planes.

What direction does the sagittal axis run?

Anterior to posterior.

Which planes intersect to form the sagittal axis?

The sagittal and transverse planes.

What does superior mean?

Toward the top of the head.

What does inferior mean?

Toward the feet.

What does anterior mean?

Toward the front of the body.

What does posterior mean?

Toward the back of the body.

What does medial mean?

Toward the midline of the body.

What does lateral mean?

Away from the midline of the body.

What does proximal mean?

Closer to the trunk or point of origin.

What does distal mean?

Farther from the trunk or point of origin.

Which directional term means closer to the body's midline?

Medial.

Which directional term means farther from the body's midline?

Lateral.

Which directional term means closer to the trunk?

Proximal.

Which directional term means farther from the trunk?

Distal.

Which plane divides the body into front and back portions?

Coronal (frontal) plane.

Which plane divides the body into left and right portions?

Sagittal plane.

Which plane divides the body into upper and lower portions?

Transverse plane.