Terminology
There are three different types of basic terms that we use to describe the body and different situations in the body: section & plant terms, movement terms, and position terms. When using the basic terms, we always start from the anatomical basic position, i.e., standing with the feet slightly angled outward and the palms facing forward.
Cuts & planting
Used to divide the body or describe how the body is divided.
Frontal plane – a plane that divides the body into a front and a back
Horizontal plane – a plane that divides the body into an upper and lower part
Sagittal or median plane – a sagittal plane that divides the body symmetrically into a right and a left half
Operating terms
Describes the body's various movements.
Flexion – bending
Extension – stretching
Lateral flexion – sideways bending of the torso and neck/head
Abduction – outward movement (of extremities)
Adduction – inward movement (of extremities)
Rotation – inward or outward turning
Palmar flexion – the hand bends toward the palm
Plantar flexion – the foot bends toward the sole
Dorsal flexion – the hand and foot bend toward the back of the hand and the sole, respectively
Supination – the palm faces upward or the sole of the foot turns inward
Pronation – the palm faces downward or the sole of the foot turns outward
Term limits
Describes the location on the different parts of the body.
Superior – upper
Inferior – lower
Anterior – front
Posterior – back
Ventral – facing the abdomen
Dorsal – facing the back
Medial – close to the midline of the body
Lateral – to the side, away from the midline
Proximal – closer to the trunk (on the extremities)
Distal – located further away from the torso (on the extremities)
Palmar – located towards the palm of the hand
Plantar – located towards the sole of the foot
Dexter – right
Sinister – left