Body Planes
Body Planes
Anterior: Front
Posterior: Toward the rear
Distal: Away from
Proximal: Near
Dorsal: Near the upper surface, toward the back
Ventral: Toward the bottom, toward the belly
Superior: Above
Inferior: Below
Lateral: Toward the side, away from the mid-line
Medial: Toward the mid-line, middle, away from the side
Rostral: Toward the front
Caudal: Toward the back, toward the tail
Anatomical Body Planes:
Anatomical planes can be used to describe any body part or an entire body, vertically and horizontally.
Lateral Plane or Sagittal Plane: This plane divides the body into right and left regions.
Median or Midsagittal Plane: Sagittal plane that divides the body into equal right and left regions.
Parasagittal Plane: Sagittal plane that divides the body into unequal right and left regions.
Frontal Plane or Coronal Plane: This plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) regions.
Transverse Plane: This plane divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) regions