Commonly Used Anatomic Direction Terms - LabCE.com, Laboratory Continuing Education

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Commonly Used Anatomic Direction Terms

Term	Meaning
Sagittal	A longitudinal, vertical plane that divides into right and left sides.
Mid-sagittal	A plane which divides the body into anterior and posterior.
Inferior	The bottom half, toward the feet.
Caudal	Located at or near the hind or posterior of the body. Means the same as "dorsal" and "posterior."
Inferior	Beneath. Used to reference an under-structure or something below another referenced structure.
Superior	The top half, toward the head.
Distal	Away from the center.
Cross-section	A plane formed by cutting though an object at right angles to an axis, which provides a representative sample of most parts contained within the whole.
Proximal	Nearest to a point of reference, such as a point of origin.
Horizontal (transverse)	A plane that is parallel to the ground.