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Anatomy & Physiology: Body Positions, Directional Terms, Planes, and Movements

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Terms in this set (28)

  • Anatomical position

    Standard reference position for describing the body: standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides, palms facing forward, feet facing forward.

  • Supine

    Body lying face up.

  • Prone

    Body lying face down.

  • Why anatomical position matters

    It provides a common reference point so directional terms like medial and lateral are consistent for everyone.

  • Anterior (ventral)

    Closer to the front of the body; opposite is Posterior.

  • Posterior (dorsal)

    Closer to the back of the body; opposite is Anterior.

  • Medial

    Closer to the body's midline; opposite is Lateral.

  • Lateral

    Farther away from the body's midline; opposite is Medial.

  • Superior (rostral)

    Closer to the head and farther from the feet; opposite is Inferior.

  • Inferior (caudal)

    Farther from the head and closer to the feet; opposite is Superior.

  • Deep

    Farther from the body's surface; opposite is Superficial.

  • Superficial

    Closer to the body's surface; opposite is Deep.

  • Proximal

    Closer to the origin or point of attachment of a structure; opposite is Distal.

  • Distal

    Farther from the origin or point of attachment of a structure; opposite is Proximal.

  • Frontal (coronal) plane

    Divides the body into anterior and posterior portions.

  • Sagittal plane

    Divides the body into left and right portions; not necessarily equal.

  • Midsagittal plane

    Divides the body into equal left and right halves.

  • Transverse plane

    Divides the body into superior and inferior portions.

  • Oblique plane

    Divides the body at an angle other than horizontal or vertical.

  • Cross-section

    A cut through a body or structure; a transverse cut produces a horizontal cross-section.

  • Movements in the frontal plane

    Abduction and adduction.

  • Movements in the sagittal plane

    Flexion and extension.

  • Movements in the transverse plane

    Rotational movements.

  • Flexion

    Decreases the angle between two body parts; usually bending a joint.

  • Extension

    Increases the angle between two body parts; usually straightening a joint.

  • Abduction

    Movement away from the body's midline.

  • Adduction

    Movement toward the body's midline.

  • Rotation

    Turning a body part around its longitudinal axis.