Anatomical positions and examples

Human anatomical positions and examples. A guide to students entering first year MBBS or students who are keen to understand medical science basics and read books related to Anatomy.

1. Author : Srikanth K S
2018 June – An engineer interested in medical science
Anatomical Positions and examples
In gross anatomy it is always assumed that the person is standing vertically with his legs pointing
forward and the hands (or palm) facing the front. Even though during dissection the cadaver is in supine
position (Sleeping position) we always describe the anatomical position of the bones and organs
assuming that the person is standing erect and the palm is facing forward and knee pointed to the front
as shown in the picture below Sagital Plane
Medial Plane
Lateral à Away from the median
Medial à Towards Median
Superior
(
Cephalic
)
head
Posterior (Dorsal)
Back viewAnterior (Ventral):
Front view
Anterior à Ventral
Posterior à Dorsal
Superior à Cephalic
Inferior à Caudal
Inferior
(
Caudal
)
à

Towards the leg
Transverse Plane
Lateral à Away from the median
Medial à Towards Median
SuperoLateral: Away from
the median
SuperoPosterior: Away
from the median and
pointing backwards (Side
view)
AnteroInferior: Away from
the median and pointing
dowards (Side view)
Sagital Plane

2. Author : Srikanth K S
2018 June – An engineer interested in medical science
Superior or Cephalic: The origin of the word Cephalic is from the greek word κεφαλικός and from the
latin word cephalicus which means head. So Any organ towards the head is referred to as Cephalic.
Example : The nose is Superior to the teeth (Simple example) it means that the nose is above the teeth
and its pointing towards the head. The orbits (Eyes) are superior to the nose.
Inferior or Caudal: Inferior or Caudal originates from the latin word called Caudal which means Tail.
Inferior or caudal means pointing downwards towards the legs.
The pelvic girdle is inferior to the diaphragm. It means that the pelvic girdle is below the diaphragm and
its towards the knee.
Medial Plane: This is an imaginary plane cutting the human body vertically into two halves. Imaging that
a person is taking a saw, and cutting a body from head to toe by drawing a line vertical line. The line cuts
the skull into two halves, passes through the per frontal cortex, cuts the nose into two halves , divides the
sternum exactly into two halves and proceeds further to the naval and the pelvic girdle cutting the coccyx
into two halves. This plane is called a medial plane. Since now we have two pieces of the human body we
can describe any organ or bone with respect to the medial plane. Any organ towards the medial plan is
called Medial and away from the Medial plane is called Lateral
Anterior or Ventral View: Anything to the front of the human body that can be seen if a person is
standing erect with the palm facing outwards and the toes pointing outwards is called the anterior view.
Typically we can see the following parts, eye, nose, mouth, chest, etc
Posterior view or Dorsal view: Anything to the back of the human body that cannot be seen if a person
is standing erect with the palm facing outwards and the toes pointing outwards is called the posterior
view.
Typically we cannot see the following parts back, rectum, spinal cord, behind the neck, etc
Hands and legs: Hands and legs are dealt with specially as shown belowPosterior à Dorsal (Back) Anterior à Palmar (Front)
Superior à Dorsal
Inferior à plantar (Sole)

Similarly for the hand we have two bones Ulnar and Radial the Ulnar is in the anterior portion and hence
the front portion of the hand is sometimes called Ulnar side of the forearm similarly the Radial is on the
posterior side hence the back of the fore arm is called radial side of the fore arm.

3. Author : Srikanth K S
2018 June – An engineer interested in medical science
Similarly the leg has two long bones tibia and Fibula, tibia is in the anterior side and Fibula is posterior
hence the sides of the fore leg are called tibial and fibular respectively.
Superficial: Any surface close to the skin is called superficial example clavicle or collar bone is superficial
Deep: Any surface away from the skin is called deep. Pelvic girdle is deep
External: The outer surface of the organ: Example the external surface of the brain is covered by the
dura matter
Internal: The inner surface of the organ. The internal (inner) surface of the stomach is coated with a
mucosal membrane called gastric mucosa.
Sagittal plane: Plane parallel to the medial plane. It is also called as plane which forms vertical slices of
the body. This is the view when a carrot is cut along the sagittal plane.

Transverse plane: This is perpendicular to the Sagittal plane. To remember this plane consider chopping
a vegetable. Depicted below is the view obtained by cutting carrot along the coronal plane

Coronal Plane: an Imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the transverse plane and moves from Lateral
to Medial. Imagine cutting a fore arm along the radial and ulnar bones. The red line here in the figure
below represents the coronal plane
Ulna bone ( Anterior)Radial bone ( Posterior)

4. Author : Srikanth K S
2018 June – An engineer interested in medical science
Proximal: Relative position nearer to.
Distal: Relative position Farther away from
Example the nose is proximal to the eyes but distal to the stomach
The pelvic girdle is proximal to the diaphragm but distal from the lungs
The lateral 1/3 of the clavicle bone is proximal to the sternum
Summary of positions:
Superior aka cephalic Towards the head
Inferior aka Caudal Away from the head
Anterior aka Ventral In front of (Visible portion)
Posterior aka dorsal Behind
Medial Towards the medial plane
Lateral Away from the medial plane
Medial Plane Imaginary plane cutting the body into two halves
Sagittal plane Parallel to the medial plane. Cutting carrots length
wise
Transverse plane Perpendicular to the medial plane. Cutting carrots
into fine circles
Coronal Plane Plane cutting towards he medial line perpendicular
to the transverse and medial plan. (to remember it
Cutting the radial and ulnar bone)
Palmar side of fore arm Ulnar side of hand
Posterior side of fore arm Radial side of the hand
Dorsal side of foot Sole
Planar side of foot Ankle

Special directions or oblique planes: SuperoLateral: Top left or top right. The Pinnae are located
SuperoLaterally
InferoMedial: Down towards he medial line. The Liver and spleen are located InferoMedially.
AnteroInferior: Front (Anterior) and Down. The Tibia is located AnteroInferiorly
PosterioInferior: Back (Posterior) and Down. The Fibula is located PosterioInferiorly

Bones present in the human body
Location Adult Bones Count
Fused
to
Sub
total Right Left
Cranium frontal bones 1 Skull
Cranium Parietal bone 2 Skull
Cranium temporal bones 2 Skull
Cranium occipital bone 1 Skull
Cranium sphenoid bone 1 Skull

5. Author : Srikanth K S
2018 June – An engineer interested in medical science
Location Adult Bones Count
Fused
to
Sub
total Right Left
Cranium ethmoid bone 1 Skull
Facial mandible 1 Skull
Facial maxilla 2 Skull
Facial palatine bone 2 Skull
Facial zygomatic bone 2 Skull
Facial nasal bone 2 Nose
Facial lacrimal bone 2 Orbit
Facial vomer bone 1 Skull
Facial inferior nasal conchae 2 Nose 22
Ear malleus 2 1 1
Ear incus 2 1 1
Ear stapes 2 6 1 1
Throat Hyboid bone 1 1
Sholder scapula 2 1 1
Sholder Clavicle 2 4 1 1
Thorax Sternum 1
Thorax Ribs 24 25 12 12
Vertebral column Cervicle Vertebre 7
Vertebral column Thorax Vertebre 12
Vertebral column Lumbar Vetebre 5 24
Arm Humerus 2 1 1
Arm Radius 2 1 1
Arm Ulna 2 6 1 1
Hand Wrist Scaphoid 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Lunate 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Triquetral 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Pisiform 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Trapezium 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Trapezoid 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Capitate 2 1 1
Hand Wrist Hamate 2 1 1
Palm Metacarpal 10 5 5
Palm Proximal Phalanges 10 5 5
Palm Intermediate Phalanges 8 4 4
Palm Distal Phalanges 10 54 5 5
Pelvis Coccyx 1
Pelvis Sacrum 1
Pelvis ossa Coxae 2 4 1 1
Leg Femur 2 1 1
Leg Patella 2 1 1
Leg Tibia 2 1 1

6. Author : Srikanth K S
2018 June – An engineer interested in medical science
Location Adult Bones Count
Fused
to
Sub
total Right Left
Leg Fibula 2 8 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Calcaneus 2 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Talus 2 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Navicular 2 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Medial Cuneiform 2 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Intermediate cuneiform 2 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Lateral Cuneiform 2 1 1
Feet Ankle (Tarsal) Cuboid 2 1 1
Instep bone Metatarsal 10 5 5
Toe bone Proximal Phalanges 10 5 5
Toe bone Intermediate Phalanges 8 4 4
Toe bone Distal Phalanges 10 52 5 5