The Anatomical Position Standing erect, face forward, arms at sides, palms forward.
Directional Terms Superior: body part is above another, closer to the head Inferior: below, closer to the feet
Anterior: (ventral) toward the front Posterior: (dorsal) toward the back Medial: relates to an imaginary line dividing the body equally into right and left halves.
Lateral: toward the side with respect to the midline. Proximal: closer to the point of attachment, the trunk
Distal: farther from the point of attachment, the trunk Superficial: situated near the surface.
Deep: situated more internally Peripheral: outward
As described for sectional study Body Sections As described for sectional study
Sagittal: a lengthwise cut, divides the body into right and left portions. Transverse: a cross cut dividing the body into superior and inferior portions.
Frontal: refers to a section that divides the body into anterior and posterior portions.
Cylindrical Cross section: across the organs Oblique section: angular cut through Longitudinal section: lengthwise through
Found in the book, pages 14-17. Body regions Found in the book, pages 14-17.