ANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY

DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY
    -- indicates the relationship of one part of the body to another


--SUPERIOR/INFERIOR

Superior  means to be situated toward the upper part or head of the body, positioned above another organ or structure.
Inferior is the opposite of superior, to be situated toward the lower part of the body or positioned below another organ or structure.
The stomach is superior to the urinary bladder
The heart is inferior to the brain

see animation

  --ANTERIOR (ventral) /POSTERIOR (dorsal)   Anterior is to be situated near or toward the front (first in movement) of the body . Ventral is to be situated on the belly side of the body.  In humans, ventral and anterior are interchangeable bedause we walk upright.  In other animals, like the cat, they are not interchangeable. Posterior is to be situated toward the back (last in movement) of the body. Dorsal means near the  back of the body.  Again, in humans, dorsal and posterior mean the same thing.
The sternum is anterior (ventral) to the heart
The heart is posterior(dorsal)  to the sternum
see animation
--LATERAL/MEDIAL   Lateral is to be farther away, in the direction of either side, from the midline of the body or a structure.  Medial is to be closer to the midline of the body or a structure, being internal as opposed to external.  The midline is an imaginary vertical line drawn down the body that separates it into equal right and left sides.
The tibia is on the medial  side of the lower leg
The ribs are lateral  to the sternum
see animation
  --IPSILATERAL/CONTRALATERAL   Ipsilateral means to be on the same side of the body.  Also known as homolateral. Contralateral means to be on opposite sides.
The left and right lung are contralateral
The gallbladder and the ascending colon are ipsilateral
see animation
  --SUPERFICIAL/DEEP

Superficial means to be toward or on the surface of the body, which is the direct opposite of deep which is to be away from the surface of the body.

The ribs are superficial  to the liver
The pancreas is deep  to the stomach
see animation
  --PARIETAL/VISCERAL

Parietal is to be of or forming the lining of the outer wall of a cavity or other body space. Visceral is of, on or forming the covering of an organ.

The portion of the peritoneum lining the interior of the body wall is the parietal peritoneum.
The portion of the peritoneum covering the organs of the abdominal cavity is the visceral  peritoneum.

 
--PROXIMAL/DISTAL

Proximal  is to be closer to the point of origin or attachment of an extremity, whereas distal  is to be farther away from the point of origin or attachment.

The hand is distal to the elbow.
The patella is at the proximal end of the tibia.

see animation

PLANES OF REFERENCE

--imaginary planes that pass through and divide a body or organ into definite areas.  When we look at a section of an organ or tissue we will name it according to the plane on which the cut is made such as in --

A transverse section of the hypothalamus of the brain.



--SAGITTAL PLANE

a vertical plane that divides the body or organ into right and left sides.

see animation

--MIDSAGITTAL PLANE (MEDIAN)

a sagittal plane that divides the body or organ into equal right and left sides.  It passes through the midline of the body or organ.
 

--TRANSVERSE PLANE (CROSS-SECTIONAL)

a horizontal plane that divides the body (organ) into superior and inferior  parts.

see animation

--FRONTAL (CORONAL) PLANE
a vertical plane that divides the body (organ) into anterior and posterior portions.

see animation

 --OBLIQUE PLANE

a plane cut neither vertical nor horizontal, it is not parallel or perpendicular to any of the aforementioned planes.  Rather, it is some where between the two.  An oblique plane will pass through the body between the transverse and one of the vertical planes mentioned above.