Anatomy terms cheat sheet
Directional terms, body planes, movements and abdominal regions on one page, with plain examples.
The anatomical position
All of these terms assume the body is in the anatomical position: standing upright, facing forwards, arms by the sides with the palms facing forwards and the feet together. Left and right always mean the patient's left and right, not yours.
Directional terms
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Anterior (ventral) | Towards the front of the body | The sternum is anterior to the heart. |
| Posterior (dorsal) | Towards the back of the body | The spine is posterior to the oesophagus. |
| Superior (cranial) | Towards the head | The head is superior to the neck. |
| Inferior (caudal) | Towards the feet | The knee is inferior to the hip. |
| Medial | Towards the midline of the body | The big toe is on the medial side of the foot. |
| Lateral | Away from the midline | The thumb is lateral to the little finger in the anatomical position. |
| Proximal | Closer to where a limb attaches to the trunk | The elbow is proximal to the wrist. |
| Distal | Further from where a limb attaches | The fingers are distal to the wrist. |
| Superficial | Closer to the surface of the body | The skin is superficial to the muscles. |
| Deep | Further from the surface | The bones are deep to the muscles. |
| Ipsilateral | On the same side of the body | The right arm and right leg are ipsilateral. |
| Contralateral | On the opposite side | A stroke on the left side of the brain can weaken the contralateral (right) arm. |
Body planes
- Sagittal plane: Divides the body into left and right parts. The median (midsagittal) plane splits it into equal halves.
- Coronal (frontal) plane: Divides the body into front and back parts.
- Transverse (axial) plane: Divides the body into upper and lower parts. CT and MRI slices are often shown in this plane.
Movements
| Movement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Flexion / extension | Bending a joint to decrease the angle / straightening it to increase the angle. |
| Abduction / adduction | Moving a limb away from the midline / back towards it. |
| Medial / lateral rotation | Turning a limb inwards towards the midline / outwards away from it. |
| Circumduction | A circular movement combining flexion, abduction, extension and adduction, as when you draw a circle with your arm. |
| Pronation / supination | Turning the forearm so the palm faces down / up. |
| Dorsiflexion / plantarflexion | Pulling the foot up towards the shin / pointing the toes down. |
| Inversion / eversion | Turning the sole of the foot inwards / outwards. |
| Protraction / retraction | Moving a part forwards / backwards, as with the shoulder blades or jaw. |
| Elevation / depression | Moving a part upwards / downwards, as when you shrug your shoulders. |
See also: Dorsiflexion.
The nine abdominal regions
Two vertical lines and two horizontal lines divide the abdomen into nine regions, read from the patient's right to left, top to bottom:
| Right hypochondriac | Epigastric | Left hypochondriac |
| Right lumbar | Umbilical | Left lumbar |
| Right iliac | Hypogastric (suprapubic) | Left iliac |
Clinicians use these to describe where pain or a mass is, for example epigastric pain just below the breastbone.
Keep going
Browse the general anatomy terms and muscle names in the glossary, or learn the word parts in our prefixes and suffixes list.
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