Directional Terms & Body Planes

Front 1

Dorsal

Back 1

Pertaining to the back; closer to the back; away from the ground

Hint 1

Example: The spine is dorsal to the sternum; the spine is dorsal to the heart

Front 2

Ventral

Back 2

Pertaining to the belly; closer yo the belly; toward the ground

Hint 2

Example: The heart is ventral to the spine; the sternum is ventral to the spine

Front 3

Cranial

Back 3

Pertaining to the head; closer to the head

Hint 3

Example: The neck is cranial to the tail; the heart is cranial to the stomach

Front 4

Caudal

Back 4

Pertaining to the tail; closer to the tail

Hint 4

Example: The hindlimb is caudal to the forelimb; the lumbar vertebrae is caudal to the cervical vertebrae

Front 5

Medial

Back 5

Pertaining to the middle; closer to the median plane; closer to the midline

Hint 5

Example: the dewclaw is medial to the other digits; the heart is medial to the ribs

Front 6

Lateral

Back 6

Pertaining to the side; further from the median plane; further from the midline

Hint 6

Example: The ribs are lateral to the heart; the pinky toe is lateral to the big toe

Front 7

Proximal

Back 7

Pertaining to the beginning; nearer to the point of attachment

Hint 7

Example: The femur is proximal to the tibia; the ulna is proximal to the carpals

Front 8

Distal

Back 8

Pertaining to far from the beginning; farther from the point of attachment

Hint 8

Example: The patella is distal to the femur; the phalanges are distal to the humerus

Front 9

Superficial

Back 9

Nearer to the surface of the body

Hint 9

Example: a papercut is superficial; the biceps are superficial to the humerus

Front 10

Deep

Back 10

Farther from the surface of they body

Hint 10

Example: A stab wound is deep; the humerus is deep to the biceps muscle

Front 11

Plantar

Back 11

Pertaining to the caudal surface of the pes (rear paw) and tarsus

Hint 11

Example: The dog has a laceration on the plantar aspect of its left pes

Front 12

Palmar

Back 12

Pertaining to the caudal surface of the manus (front paw) and carpus

Hint 12

Example: The dog has a laceration on the plantar aspect of its manus

Front 13

Rostral

Back 13

Pertaining to the nose; closer to the nose

Hint 13

Example; the hard palate is rostral to the soft palate

Front 14

Anterior

Back 14

Pertaining to the front side of the body

Hint 14

Example: The toe of the hoof is anterior to the heal

Front 15

Posterior

Back 15

Pertaining to the back side of the body

Hint 15

Example: the heal of the hoof is posterior to the toe

Front 16

Dorsal Plane

Back 16

Divides the body into a ventral and dorsal

Front 17

Median Plane; Midsagittal Plane

Back 17

Divides the body into equal right and left halves

Front 18

Sagittal Plane

Back 18

Divides the body into unequal right and left halves

Front 19

Transverse Plane

Back 19

Divides the body into cranial and caudal halves