Anatomical plane


An anatomical plane is a hypothetical plane used to transect the body, in order to describe the location of structures or the direction of movements.

In human anatomy three principal planes are used: the sagittal plane, coronal plane, and transverse plane.[1] In animals with a horizontal spine the plane divides the body into dorsal (towards the backbone) and ventral (towards the belly) parts and is termed the dorsal plane.[2][3]

  • A parasagittal plane is any plane that divides the body into left and right sections.[1] The median plane or midsagittal plane is a specific sagittal plane; it passes through the middle of the body, dividing it into left and right halves.[1]
  • The coronal plane, also frontal plane divides the body into front and back parts.[4]
  • The transverse plane, also called the axial or horizontal plane, is perpendicular to the other two planes, and is parallel to the ground.[4]
  1. ^ a b c Moore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2018). Clinically oriented anatomy (Eighth ed.). Philadelphia Baltimore New York London Buenos Aires Hong Kong Sydney Tokyo: Wolters Kluwer. pp. 5–8. ISBN 9781496347213.
  2. ^ Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria (6 ed.). World Association of Veterinary Anatomists. 2017. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  3. ^ Kardong, Kenneth V. (2019). Vertebrates: comparative anatomy, function, evolution (Eighth, international student ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. p. 16. ISBN 9781260092042.
  4. ^ a b "Introduction". Collection at Bartleby.com. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
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