Body Orientation Flashcards
Superior
“above” something else
Inferior
“below” something else
Anterior (ventral)
towards your front
Posterior (dorsal)
towards your back
Proximal
closer to the trunk or attachment point
Distal
farther from the trunk or attachment point
Medial
toward the brain or spinal cord
Peripheral
away from the brain or spinal cord
Superficial
close to the body surface (when looking from the inside towards the skin)
Deep
closer to the inside of the body (farther from the surface of the body)
Lateral
away from the middle (towards a side)
Supine
body laying face up
Prone
body laying face down
Sagittal plane
lengthwise cut (divides the body into left and right portions)
Mid-sagittal plane
if cut is through the midline
Para-sagittal plane
if the cut is not through the midline
Frontal plane
sideways cut (divides body into anterior and posterior portions)
Transverse plane
horizontal cut (divides body into superior and inferior portions)
Caudal
tail region
Cranial
head region
