Renneth Rea O.

Flores
BSCE 1-D

Lesson 2 
              Movements on Anatomical Position and Directional Terms

Please see attached videos on anatomical position and directional terms below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQUMJ6Gh9Bw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxxy7AP_eGQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyaPCwMMOig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtE9GlLBJs

Based on the video answer the following questions:

1. Why is it important to remember the anatomical position using the directional terms?

Based on the video it is important to look at the body at the exact same position to
avoid confusion in to discussing anything related to anatomy. It is needed to avoid
mistakes and to identify clearly what is needed. For example, in medicine or medical
school students need to learn what is the difference between difficult terms because if
they make a mistake it could cost their patients life.

2. Why do we need to use directional terms and body planes in studying and applying
movement?

Understanding anatomical directional terms and body planes will make it easier to
study anatomy. It will help you to be able to visualize positional and spatial locations of
structures and navigate directionally from one area to another. Understanding
terminology ensures doctors and technicians have a shared method of communicating,
which helps to avoid confusion when pinpointing structures and describing locations of
lesions. Knowing your directional terms makes things clear and saves time!
Notes:

Anatomical directional terms and body planes represent a universally accepted language of
anatomy, allowing precise communication between anatomists and health professionals. The
terms used to explain anatomical positioning are described in relation to one standard position

called the anatomical position. 

3. This position is used to describe body parts and positions of patients regardless if they are
lying down, on their side or facing down. In the anatomical position, the person is
standing upright with arms to the side with the palms facing forward and thumbs pointing
away from the body, feet slightly apart and parallel to each other with the toes pointing
forward and the head facing forward and the eyes looking straight ahead.
4.
5. Directional terms
6. Directional terms allow description of one body part in relation to another.
Key facts

Anterior In front of or front

Posterior In behind of or behind
Ventral Towards the front of the body
Dorsal Towards the back of the body
Distal Away or farthest away from the trunk or the point of origin of the body part
Proximal Closer or towards the trunk or the point of origin of the body part
Median Midline of the body
Medial Towards the median
Lateral Away from median
Superior Towards the top of the head
Inferior Towards the feet
External Towards the surface, superficial
Internal Away from the surface, deep
Frontal Towards the front of the brain
Occipital Towards the back of the brain
Coronal Plane Vertical plane dividing the body into anterior and posterior
Sagittal Plane Vertical plane dividing the body into left and right
Transverse Horizontal plane dividing the body into superior and inferior
Plane
7.

8. Directional Terms 
9.  Directional terms allow description of one body part in relation to another.
10. Anterior and posterior 
11. Anterior indicates that the body part in question is “in front of” or “front”. Posterior
indicates that it is “in behind of” or “behind”.
12. Ventral and dorsal
13. Ventral denotes towards the front of the body and dorsal means towards the back of the
body.
14. Right and left 
15. Right indicates to the “right side of” and left indicates to the “left side of”.
16. Distal and proximal
17. Distal indicates that it is away or farthest away from the trunk of the body or the point of

origin of the body part. 

18. Proximal means that it is closest or towards the trunk of the body or point of origin.
19. Median 
20. Median or midline is an imaginary line down the middle of the body that splits the body
into equal left and right parts.
21. Medial and lateral
22. Medial is towards the median whereas lateral is away from the median and towards the
side of the body.
23.
24. Superior and inferior
25. Superior is upwards or towards the vertex/top of the head whereas inferior indicates the

opposite: below or towards the feet.

26. External and internal
27. Sometimes known as superficial, external denotes towards the surface. Internal is also
known as deep and denotes that it is away from the body surface.
28. Frontal and occipital
29. Frontal refers towards the front of the brain whereas occipital means towards the back of
the brain.
30. Body planes
31. Body planes are imaginary planes or flat surfaces that cut through and section the body in
its anatomical position.
32. Coronal {Frontal Plane}
33. The coronal plane
34. The coronal plane is a vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front)

and posterior (back) parts.
35. -vertical plane running from side to side; 
36. Sagittal {Lateral Plane}
37. The sagittal plane is also a vertical plane that splits the body into left and right parts. A
sagittal plane that runs directly through the midline is also called the midsagittal plane or
median plane.
38. Axial Plane {Transverse Plane}The transverse plane is a horizontal plane. It divides the
body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions. In anatomy, they are also
referred to as a cross section.
39. Median Plane- Sagittal plane through the midline of the body; divides the body or any of
its parts into right and left halves.
40.

41. Anatomical Movement

42.
43. Flexion and Extension
44. Flexion and extension are movements that occur in the sagittal plane. They refer to
increasing and decreasing the angle between two body parts:
45. Flexion  refers to a movement that decreases the angle between two body parts. Flexion
at the elbow is decreasing the angle between the ulna and the humerus. When the knee
flexes, the ankle moves closer to the buttock, and the angle between the femur and tibia
gets smaller.
46. Extension refers to a movement that increases the angle between two body parts.
Extension at the elbow is increasing the angle between the ulna and the humerus.
Extension of the knee straightens the lower limb.
47.

48. Abduction and Adduction

49. Abduction and adduction are two terms that are used to describe movements towards or
away from the midline of the body.
50. Abduction is a movement away from the midline – just as abducting someone is to take
them away. For example, abduction of the shoulder raises the arms out to the sides of the
body.
51. Adduction is a movement towards the midline. Adduction of the hip squeezes the legs
together.
52. In fingers and toes, the midline used is not the midline of the body, but of the hand and
foot respectively. Therefore, abducting the fingers spreads them out.

53.
54. Medial and Lateral Rotation
55. Medial and lateral rotation describe movement of the limbs around their long axis:
56. Medial rotation is a rotational movement towards the midline. It is sometimes referred
to as internal rotation. To understand this, we have two scenarios to imagine. Firstly, with
a straight leg, rotate it to point the toes inward. This is medial rotation of the hip.
Secondly, imagine you are carrying a tea tray in front of you, with elbow at 90 degrees.
Now rotate the arm, bringing your hand towards your opposite hip (elbow still at 90
degrees). This is internal rotation of the shoulder.
57. Lateral rotation is a rotating movement away from the midline. This is in the opposite
direction to the movements described above.
58.
59. Elevation and Depression
60. Elevation  refers to movement in a superior direction (e.g. shoulder
shrug), depression  refers to movement in an inferior direction.
61.
62. Pronation and Supination
63. This is easily confused with medial and lateral rotation, but the difference is subtle. With
your hand resting on a table in front of you, and keeping your shoulder and elbow still,
turn your hand onto its back, palm up. This is the supine position, and so this movement
is supination.
64. Again, keeping the elbow and shoulder still, flip your hand onto its front, palm down.
This is the prone position, and so this movement is named pronation.
65. These terms also apply to the whole body – when lying flat on the back, the body is
supine. When lying flat on the front, the body is prone.
66.
67. Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion
68. Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion are terms used to describe movements at the ankle. They
refer to the two surfaces of the foot; the dorsum (superior surface) and the plantar surface
(the sole).
69. Dorsiflexion refers to flexion at the ankle, so that the foot points more superiorly.
Dorsiflexion of the hand is a confusing term, and so is rarely used. The dorsum of the
hand is the posterior surface, and so movement in that direction is extension. Therefore
we can say that dorsiflexion of the wrist is the same as extension.
70. Plantarflexion refers extension at the ankle, so that the foot points inferiorly. Similarly
there is a term for the hand, which is palmarflexion.
71.
72. Inversion and Eversion
73. Inversion and eversion are movements which occur at the ankle joint, referring to the
rotation of the foot around its long axis.
74. Inversion involves the movement of the sole towards the median plane – so that the
sole faces in a medial direction.
75. Eversion involves the movement of the sole away from the median plane – so that the
sole faces in a lateral direction.
76.

77. Opposition and Reposition

78. A pair of movements that are limited to humans and some great apes, these terms apply
to the additional movements that the hand and thumb can perform in these species.
79. Opposition brings the thumb and little finger together.
80. Reposition is a movement that moves the thumb and the little finger away from each
other, effectively reversing opposition.
81.
82. Circumduction
83. Circumduction can be defined as a conical movement of a limb extending from the
joint at which the movement is controlled.
84. It is sometimes talked about as a circular motion, but is more accurately conical due to
the ‘cone’ formed by the moving limb.
85.
86. Protraction and Retraction
87. Protraction describes the anterolateral movement of the scapula on the thoracic wall
that allows the shoulder to move anteriorly. In practice, this is the movement of ‘reaching
out’ to something.
88. Retraction refers to the posteromedial movement of the scapula on the thoracic wall,
which causes the shoulder region to move posteriorly i.e. picking something up.
89.
90.