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Positional Terms
Anatomy positional terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Terms of position/direction | describes the relationship of one structure on/in the body to another with reference to the anatomical position |
| Anatomical position | body standing erect, limbs extended, palms of the hands forward, thumbs directed outwardly |
| Cranial/Superior | refers to a structure being closer to the top of the head than another structure in the head, neck, or torso (excluding limbs) |
| Anterior | refers to a structure being more in front than another structure in the body |
| Ventral | refers to the abdominal side; in bipeds, it is synonymous with anterior |
| Rostral | refers to a beak-like structure in the front of the head or brain that projects forward |
| Posterior/Dorsal | refers to a structure being more in back than another structure in the body |
| Dorsal | synonymous with posterior (the preferred term) except in quadrupeds |
| Medial | refers to a structure being closer to the midline or median plane of the body than another structure of the body |
| Lateral | refers to a structure that is farther away from the median plane than another structure in the body |
| Proximal | employed only with reference to the limbs, refers to a structure being closer to the median plane or root of the limb than another structure in the limb |
| Distal | refers to a structure being farther away from the median plane or the root of the limb than another structure in the limb |
| Caudal/Inferior | refer to a structure being closer to the feet or the lower part of the body than another structure in the body. Not used with respect to the limbs. In quadrupeds, caudal means closer to the tail |
| Superficial | synonymous with external; a structure close to the surface of the body |
| Deep | synonymous with internal; a structure farther away from the surface |
| Ipsilateral | means on the same side as the reference point |
| Contralateral | means on the opposite side of the reference point |
| Quadruped | Four-footed creature, has four points of direction: head end (cranial), tail end (caudal), belly side (ventral), and back side (dorsal) |
| Biped | Two-footed creature (human) |
| Median plane | midline longitudinal plane dividing the head and torso into right and left halves; presence of the sectioned midline of the vertebral column and spinal cord is characteristic of this plane |
| Sagittal plane | parallel to median plane; longitudinal plane dividing the body (head, torso, limbs) or its parts into left and right parts (not halves) |
| Coronal/Frontal plane | longitudinal plane dividing the body or its parts into front and back halves or parts; perpendicular to median and sagittal |
| Transverse/Cross plane | divides the body into upper and lower halves or parts (cross sections); perpendicular to longitudinal planes; transverse are horizontal planes of the body in the anatomical position |
Created by:
SareBear679
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