Anatomical Terms

Question 1

Anterior (Ventral)

Answer 1

Describes the front direction toward the front of the body.
Ex:Toes are anterior to the foot

Question 2

Posterior (Dorsal)

Answer 2

Describes the back or direction toward the back of the body.

Question 3

Superior (cranial)

Answer 3

Describes a position above or higher than another part of the body.

Question 4

Inferior (caudal)

Answer 4

Decribes a position below or lower than another part of the body; Near of toward the tail (in human, the coccyx, or lowest part of the spinal column). The pelvis is Inferior to the abdomen

Question 5

Lateral

Answer 5

Describes the side or direction toward the side of the body

Question 6

Medial

Answer 6

Decribes the middle or direction toward the middle of the body

Question 7

Proximal

Answer 7

Describes a position in a lib that is farther from the point of attachment or the trunk of the body

Question 8

Superficial

Answer 8

Describes a position close to the surface of the body

Question 9

Deep

Answer 9

Describes a position farther from the surface of the body.

Ex: the brain is deep to the skull

Question 10

Sagittal Plane

Answer 10

The plane that divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides. The vertical plane runs directly down the middle of the body.

Question 11

Frontal plane

Answer 11

The plane that divides the body or an organ into an anterior (front) portion and a posterior (back) portion. Also known as the “coronal plane” with “corona” being Latin for “crown”

Question 12

Transverse plane

Answer 12

The plane that divides the body or organ horizontally into upper and lower portions. Transverse planes produce images referred to as cross sections.