ANATOMICAL DIRECTIONS

o      anterior (ventral)

toward the front (belly) of the body

o      posterior (dorsal)

toward the back of the body

o      medial

toward the midline of the body

o      lateral

toward the side of the body

o      proximal

nearer to the point of attachment or to a given reference point

o      distal

farther from the point of attachment or from a given reference point

o      superior

above

o      inferior

below

o      cranial (cephalic)

toward the head

o      caudal

toward the lower end of the spine

o      superficial (external)

close to surface of the body

o      deep (internal)

close to the center of the body

o      frontal plane

also called a coronal plane, is made at right angles to the midline and divides the body into anterior and posterior parts

o      sagittal plane

passes from front to back and divides the body into right and left portions, if the plane passes throught the midline, it is a mid-sagittal or medial plane

o      transverse plane

passes horizontally dividing the body into superior and inferior parts