Anatomic Directional Terms

Anterior/Ventral - front or toward the front of the body
Posterior/Dorsal - back or toward the back of the body
Caudal - near or toward the tail bone
Lateral - on the side or toward the side of the body
Medial - in the middle or toward the middle of the body
Proximal - nearer to the point of attachment or the trunk of the body
Distal - farther from the point of attachment or the trunk of the body
Superficial - near the surface of the body
Deep - farther from the surface of the body
Superior - situated above or higher than another part
Inferior - Situated below or lower than another part
Central - near the center of the body or middle of an organ
Peripheral - away from the center of the body or middle of an organProne - lying on the stomach, face down
Supine - lying on the back, face up

Body Planes

Sagittal Plane - divides body into left and right
Midsagittal Plane - Sagittal plane that divides body into equal left and right
Coronal/Frontal Plane - divides body into front and back (anterior, posterior)
Transverse Plane - divides body into top and bottom (superior, inferior)