5.3 Directional Terms and Body Planes

Anterior (or ventral)

describes the front or the direction toward the front of the body

Posterior (or dorsal)

describes the back or the direction toward the back of the body

Superior (or cranial)

describes a position above or higher than another part of the body

Inferior (or caudal)

describes a position below or lower than another part of the body

Lateral

describes the side or the direction toward the side of the body

Medial

describes the middle or the direction toward the middle of the body

Supine

describes a horizontal position with the body facing upward; for example, the patient lies supine during sleep

Prone

describes a horizontal position with the body facing downward; for example, the spine is examined in the prone position.

section

a two-dimensional surface that has been “cut” from a three-dimensional structure

plane

an imaginary two-dimensional surface that passes through the body

sagittal plane

the plane that divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides

sagittal plane

It is also called the lateral plane.

If this vertical plane runs directly down the middle of the body or an organ, it is called

the midsagittal  plane

The frontal plane is the plane that divides the body or an organ into an anterior (front) portion and a posterior (rear) portion.

The frontal plane is often referred to as the coronal plane.

The transverse plane

the plane that divides the body or organ horizontally into upper and lower portions.

The transverse plane is also called

axial plane

Transverse planes produce images referred to

cross-sections

anter/o

front

later/o

side

poster/o

back, behind

radi/o

X-ray