Body Planes
In anatomy parts of the body are often described in terms of their position on the various body planes. There are three body planes whose orientations and descriptions are given below.Plane | a.k.a. | Description |
---|---|---|
Coronal Plane | Frontal Plane | The coronal plane is a verical plane that divides the body into front (Anterior) and rear (Posterior) sections. |
Midsagittal Plane | Lateral or Median Plane | The midsagittal plane is a vertical plane that reaches from the top to the bottom of the body and divides it into left and right sections. |
Axial Plane | Transverse or Horizontal Plane | The axial plane is a horizontal plane that divides the body into inferior and superior sections. |

Anatomical Terms
Anatomical Term | Description |
---|---|
Anterior | Toward the front, Ventral |
Posterior | Toward the back, Dorsal |
Inferior | Lower or below, closer to the feet |
Superior | Upper or above, closer to the head |
Medial | Toward the mid-line of the body |
Lateral | Away from the mid-line of the body |
Proximal | Toward the center of the body |
Distal | Away from the center of the body |
Cranial or Cephalad | Toward the head |
Caudal or Caudad | Toward the tail |