Reprint with permission only: Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Anatomical Terminology
ORIENTATION AND DIRECTIONAL TERMS
Anatomical position: The standard arrangement of the body used for reference when studying anatomy
Body is erect and at rest
Both feet are flat on the floor and slightly separated
Arms are down by the side, held slightly away from the body
Head, eyes, palms, and toes are all facing forward
Superior: Above or higher
Inferior: Below or lower
Proximal: Closer to the point of attachment
Distal: Farther away from the point of attachment
Lateral: Towards the side;
farther away from the midline
Medial: Towards the middle;
closer to the midline
Anterior: Towards the front; before
Posterior: Towards the back; behind
Ventral: “Belly side”, towards the front
(for humans, ventral = anterior)
Dorsal: “Back side”, towards the back
(for humans, dorsal = posterior)
Superficial: Closer to the surface
Deep: Deeper; farther from the surface
Supine: Having the palms facing up or forward;
lying with the body face up
Prone: Having the palms facing down or to the back;
lying with the body face down
ANATOMICAL PLANES
Frontal plane
(or coronal plane)
A vertical plane, perpendicular to the ground, that runs through the body from side
to side and divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections
Sagittal plane
A vertical plane, perpendicular to the ground, that runs through the body from front
to back and divides the body into left and right sections
Transverse plane
(or horizontal plane)
A horizontal plane, perpendicular to the midline of the body, that runs through the
body from front to back, and divides the body into upper and lower sections
HISTOLOGY TERMS
Simple
Composed of a single layer of cells
Stratified
Composed of multiple layers of cells
Loose
Tissues that contain large amounts of ground substance; fibers and cells, if
present, are loosely arranged
Dense
Tissues that contain more fiber than cells or ground substance; fibers appear
closely packed with little open space between them
