Anatomical Positions

Question 1

Standard Anatomical Positions

Answer 1

• standing upright
• head faces forward
• arms at sides
• palms face forward
• thumbs pointed outward
• feet flat
• toes pointing out

Question 2

posterior (dorsal)

Answer 2

towards the back. think of your butt.

Question 3

anterior (ventral)

Answer 3

towards the fronts. Ex: nose anterior to ear

Question 4

superior (cranial)

Answer 4

towards the head

Question 5

inferior (caudal)

Answer 5

towards the feet

Question 6

medial

Answer 6

toward the midline. Ex: eyes are medial to you ears

Question 7

lateral

Answer 7

away from the midline. think lateral lung. Ex: ear is lateral to the nose

Question 8

proximal

Answer 8

approximate. towards the root or attachment

Question 9

distal

Answer 9

distant/further away. away from the root or attachment

Question 10

superficial (external)

Answer 10

towards the surface of the body

Question 11

deep (internal)

Answer 11

away from the surface of the body

Question 12

true or false: if we say a structure is located on the left side, we are referring to the left side of the specimen, model, patient, or donor– not your left side (and vice versa)

Answer 12

true

Question 13

sagittal (parasagittal) plane

Answer 13

divides the body into left and right portions

Question 14

median (midsagittal) plane

Answer 14

divides body along midline (equal right and left portions)

Question 15

frontal (coronal) plane

Answer 15

divides the body into anterior and posterior parts

Question 16

transverse (horizontal) plane

Answer 16

divides body into superior and inferior parts. also called cross section

Question 17

flexion

Answer 17

decreasing the angle btw a body part and its proximal segment. flexing

Question 18

extension

Answer 18

increasing its angle. stretching

Question 19

abduction

Answer 19

taking away from the midline

Question 20

adduction

Answer 20

ADDing it back into the body