anatomical positions Flashcards
Superior
toward the top
superficial
toward the surface
external
toward the surface
medial
toward the midline
proximal
toward the point of attachment
dorsal (brain)
top of the head/superior
dorsal (brain)
toward the backbone from the neck down
rostral
toward the nose
central
toward the center
afferent
conducting inward or toward the central nervous system
ipsilateral
same side
inferior
toward the bottom
deep
away from the surface
internal
away from the surface
lateral
away from the midline/toward the side
distal
away from the point of attachment
ventral (brain)
bottom of head/inferior
ventral (body)
toward the belly from the neck down
caudal
toward the tail
peripheral
away from the center
efferent
conducting outward or away from the central nervous system
contralateral
opposite side
Sagittal plane
splits the body from left side to right side
frontal/coronal plane
splits the body into back side and front side
transverse plane
splits the body into top half and bottom half
oblique plane
any plane that is not horizontal or vertical
