Body Orientation

• anatomical position

  Body facing forward, feet are parallel to each other, arms are at the sides with the palms facing forward, and pollexes facing away from body

  
• Superior


  Higher on the body, closer to the head

  
• Inferior


  Lower on the body, farther from the head

  
• Medial


  Toward the midline of the body; on the inner side

  
• Lateral


  Away from the midline of the body
• Anterior


  front of the body; head end of quadriped

  
• Posterior


  toward the back; toward tail end of quadriped

  
• Ventral


  front of body; belly side of quadriped

  
• Dorsal


  back of body; back of a quadriped

  
• inguinal (right and left)

  groin; area where thigh meets body trunk

  
• Frontal Plane


  divides the body into anterior and posterior portions

  
• midsagittal plane


  a vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts

  
• Transverse Plane


  horizontal division of the body into upper and lower portions

  
• umbilical

  around the navel

  
• Proximal


  Closer to the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk

  
• Distal

  farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk

  
• Cranial


  skull or head

  
• Pubic


  pertaining to the genital region

  
• cervical

  neck region

  
• acromial

  point of shoulder; shoulder

  
• sternal


  breastbone

  
• pectoral


  pertaining to the chest

  
• brachial


  upper arm

  
• olecranon


  pertaining to the posterior surface of the elbow

  
• abdominal


  anterior body trunk inferior to ribs

  
• coxal


  pertaining to the hip

  
• palmar


  pertaining to the palm of the hand

  
• digital


  fingers, toes
• femoral


  pertaining to the thigh

  
• patellar


  anterior portion of the knee

  
• crural


  shin

  
• plantar


  sole of foot

  
• pedal

  foot

  
• scapular


  shoulder blade region

  
• lumbar


  area of back between ribs and hips

  
• gluteal


  pertaining to the buttocks

  
• popliteal


  posterior knee area

  
• sural


  calf (posterior portion of the leg)

  
• calcaneal


  heel of foot

  
• Cranial


  pertaining to the portion of the skull surrounding the brain