Anatomical position
Standard stance of the body
- Body is erect
- Arms at sides
- Palms facing forward
- Feet together
- Head is level
- Eyes facing directly forward
Supine
The stance of a person lying down in the anatomical position (face up)
Prone
The stance of a person lying down facing down
Bilateral symmetry
A basic body plan in which the body is divided into equal right and left halves superficially along the midline
Anterior / Ventral
Front or belly side
Posterior / Dorsal
Back side
Superior
Above; toward the head
Inferior
Below; toward the feet
Medial
Toward the middle of the body or midsagittal plane
Lateral
Toward the outside of the body or away from the midsagittal plane
Proximal
Towards the point of connection or trunk
Distal
Away from point of connection or trunk
Superficial
Close to the body surface
Deep
Farther from body surface
Contralateral
On opposite sides of the body
Ipsilateral
On the same side of the body
Sectional anatomy
Imaginary flat surfaces that are used to divide the body
Sagittal / Midsagittal plane
A plane dividing the body into left and right halves evenly
Parasagittal plane
A plane dividing the body into left and right sections unevenly
Frontal / Coronal plane
A plane dividing the body into front and back halves
Transverse plane
A plane dividing the body into upper and lower halves
Oblique plane
A plane dividing the body at an odd angle