THE ANATOMICAL POSITION AND TERMINOLOGIES
1. ANATOMICAL POSITION 11. Proximal - Closer to the point of
• Stands erect
• Feet flat on the floor
• Palms and face facing forward
• Arms at the sides
2. DIRECTIONAL TERMS
1. Right - Toward the right side of the body
2. Left - Toward the left side of the body
Note: The body of the example, not the body of the
reader
3. Superior - A structure above another
4. Inferior - A structure beneath another
Ex: The forehead is superior to the nose. The navel is
inferior to the breastbone.
5. Cephalic - Closer to the head than another
structure
6. Caudal - Closer to the tail than another
structure
Ex: The chin is cephalic to the navel. The navel is
caudal to the chin.
7. Anterior - The front of the body
8. Posterior - The back of the body
Ex: The breastbone is anterior to the spine .The heart
is posterior to the breastbone.
9. Ventral - Toward the belly
10. Dorsal - Toward the back
Ex: The navel is ventral to the spine. The spine is
dorsal to the breastbone
9. Ventral - Toward the belly
10. Dorsal - Toward the back
Ex: The navel is ventral to the spine. The spine is
dorsal to the breastbone
attachment to the body than another
structure
Ex: The elbow is proximal to the wrist.
12. Distal - Farther to the point of attachment
to the body than another structure
Ex: The wrist is distal to the elbow. The knee is distal
to the thigh.
13. Lateral - Away from the midline of the
body
14. Medial - Towards the midline of the body
Ex: The nipple is lateral to the breastbone. The nose
is medial to the eye.
15. Superficial - Towards or on the surface
16. Deep - Away from the surface; internal
Ex: The skin is superficial to muscle. The lungs are
deep to the ribs.
3. REGIONAL TERMS
Anterior Body Landmarks
1. Abdominal (ab-dom′˘ı-nal): anterior body
trunk inferior to ribs
2. Acromial (ah-kro′me-ul): point of shoulder
3. Antebrachial (an″te-bra′ke-al): forearm
4. Antecubital (an″te-ku′b˘ı-tal): anterior
surface of elbow
5. Axillary (ak′s˘ı-lar″e): armpit
6. Brachial (bra′ke-al): arm
7. Buccal (buk′al): cheek area
8. Carpal (kar′pal): wrist
9. Cervical (ser′v˘ı-kal): neck region
10. Coxal (kok′sal): hip
11. Crural (kroo′ral): anterior leg; the shin.
12. Deltoid (del′toyd): curve of shoulder 6. Occipital (ok-sip′˘ı-tal): posterior surface of
formed by large deltoid muscle head or base of skull

13. Digital (dij′˘ı-tal): fingers, toes 7. Olecranal (ol-eh-kra′nel): posterior surface

of elbow
14. Femoral (fem′or-al): thigh (applies to both
anterior and posterior) 8. Popliteal (pop-lit′e-al): posterior knee area

15. Fibular (fib′u-lar): lateral part of leg 9. Sacral (sa′krul): area between hips at base
of spine
16. Frontal (frun′tal): forehead
10. Scapular (skap′u-lar): shoulder blade
17. Inguinal (in′gw˘ı-nal): area where thigh
region
meets body trunk; groin
11. Sural (soo′ral): the posterior surface of leg;
18. Mental (men′tul): chin
the calf
19. Nasal (na′zul): nose area
12. Vertebral (ver′t˘e-bral): area of spinal
20. Oral (o′ral): mouth column

21. Orbital (or′b˘ı-tal): eye area 4. BODY PLANES

22. Patellar (pah-tel′er): anterior knee 17. Parietal - pertaining to the external wall of
a body cavity
23. Pectoral (pek′to-ral): relating to, or
occurring in or on, the chest 18. Visceral - pertaining to the covering of an
organ
24. Pelvic (pel′vik): area overlying the pelvis
anteriorly

25. Pubic (pyu′bik): genital region

26. Sternal (ster′nul): breastbone area

27. Tarsal (tar′sal): ankle region

28. Thoracic (tho-ras′ik): area between the

neck and abdomen, supported by the ribs,
sternum and costal cartilages; chest

29. Umbilical (um-bil′˘ı-kal): nave)

Posterior Body Landmarks

1. Calcaneal (kal-ka′ne-ul): heel of foot

2. Cephalic (seh-f˘a′lik): head

3. Femoral (fem′or-al): thigh

4. Gluteal (gloo′te-al): buttock

5. Lumbar (lum′bar): area of back between

ribs and hips; the loin
 5. BODY CAVITIES
Other Body Cavities

1. Oral cavity and digestive cavity

2. Nasal cavity

3. Orbital cavities

4. Middle ear cavities

6. TERMS OF MOVEMENT