Planes and Axes - Anatomy & Physiology

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Anatomical directions

External Link to Anatomical Directions, Courtesy of UMN

• Dorsal: Toward the spine
• Ventral: Toward the sternum
• Medial: Toward central line
• Lateral: Away from central line
• Cranial: Toward the head
• Caudal: Toward the tail
• Rostral: Toward the nose (beak)
• Proximal: Toward the body (trunk)
• Distal: Away from the body

Anatomical Planes

External Link to Anatomical Planes, Courtesy of UMN

• Dorsal Plane: Parallel to the back
• Transverse Plane: Perpendicular to the long axis of the body
• Sagittal: Dividing the body to right and left parts
• Median: Sagittal section on midline dividing into right and left halves

Actions and Directions

External Link to Anatomical Actions, Courtesy of UMN

• Extension: Increasing the angle of a joint
• Flexion: Decreasing the angle of a joint
• Abduction: Movement away from the body
• Adduction: Movement toward the body
• Pronate: Rotation of the limb to move the dorsal manus medially
• Supinate: Rotation of the limb to move the dorsal manus laterally