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 Transverse (also called horizontal) planes divide the body into upper and lower
parts.
TRANSVERSE PLANE
 Coronal (also called frontal) planes divide it into front and back parts.
CORONAL PLANE
 Sagittal planes divide it into left and right parts.
SAGITTAL PLANE
Any transverse, coronal or sagittal plane must be parallel to the examples shown in
Figure 2 and the three types of planes are always at right angles to each other. The
sagittal plane, which passes through the middle of the body, is known as the median
plane. Other terms in common use are midsagittal instead of median; and not so
frequently, parasagittal instead of sagittal. The median plane is the only plane of
external symmetry in the human body; the left half is a mirror image of the right half
(except in small detail).
We often imagine the body to have been cut and separated at a reference plane and then
viewed looking directly at the plane. This is sometimes called a cross-section.
Next time you are about to eat an apple, put it upright (stalk end uppermost) on a plate
and cut it across in a transverse plane. Take one part of the apple and look at the cut
surface - you are looking at a transverse section of an apple.
4.2 Directional Terms
In skeletal anatomy directional terms are required for describing viewing directions,
relative positions of body parts and relative directions of movement. The terms we will
use in this module are defined in Tables 2 and 3. Examples are used to illustrate each
definition - if you have difficulty visualising the examples, refer to Figure 3 (the
skeleton) in Section 5.
Term
Definition
Example
Superior
Further up (with the body erect),
towards the head.
The head is superior to the neck.
Inferior
Further down (with the body
erect), towards the feet.
The ankle is inferior to the knee.
Sagittal
Nearer to, or on the sagittal plane.
The big toe is on the sagittal side of
the foot.
Lateral
Further away from the sagittal
plane.
The smallest toe is on the lateral
side of the foot.
Anterior
Nearer to the front of the body.
The nose is anterior to the ear.
Posterior
Nearer to the rear of the body.
The heel is posterior to the toes.
Distal
Further from the point of
attachment of the limb to the
trunk, or further from the sagittal
plane.
In a broken forearm bone, the distal
fragment is the part nearest the
wrist.
Proximal
Nearer to the point of attachment
of the limb to the trunk, or nearer
to the sagittal plane.
The elbow is proximal to the hand;
the knee is proximal to the foot.
Valgus
Bent, or twisted away from the
sagittal plane.
The big toe is in valgus when bent
outwards in a transverse plane.
Varus
Bent or twisted towards the
sagittal plane.
The foot is in varus when it is bent
inwards in the coronal plane.
TABLE 2. DIRECTIONAL TERMS.
The terms in Table 3 are used when describing directions of movement of limbs or parts
of limbs. During motion, the proximal part is regarded as stationary and the distal part
as moving. If you have difficulty visualising the movements, try them out yourself, and
refer to an anatomy and physiology textbook for illustrations.
Unit 1 - Basic Anatomy 4
MEDIAN PLANE