Anatomical Position and Direction

Question 1

Anterior

Answer 1

toward the front
ex: knee cap on the anterior side of leg

Question 2

Posterior

Answer 2

toward the back
ex: shoulder blades are located on the posterior side of the body

Question 3

Superior

Answer 3

toward the head
ex: the hand is part of the superior portion of body

Question 4

Inferior

Answer 4

toward the feet
ex: the foot is part of the inferior extremity

Question 5

Medial

Answer 5

toward the midline
ex: chest is medial to the arm

Question 6

Lateral

Answer 6

away from the midline
ex: the pinky toe is lateral to the big toes on the same foot

Question 7

Proximal

Answer 7

closer to trunk of the body
ex: proximal end of the femur joins the pelvic bone

Question 8

Distal

Answer 8

farther from the trunk of the body
ex: the hand is distal to the shoulder

Question 9

Sagittal plane or median

Answer 9

vertical plane that divides the body into right and left halves

Question 10

Frontal plane or coronal

Answer 10

vertical plane that divides the body into the anterior and posterior halves

Question 11

Transverse plane or cross section

Answer 11

horizontal plane that dives the body into superior and inferior halves