Medical Terminology Body Structures
Kourtney Ramsey
Body Planes
The Planes
Midsagittal (Median) Plane
Coronal (Frontal) Plane
The coronal plane is a vertical plane that divides into the ventral and the dorsal sections of the body (shown below). The two parts of the body are referred to as the anterior and the posterior sections. The anterior section is the front half of the body where the stomach is, and the posterior section is the back half of the body.
Transverse (Horizontal) Plane
The transverse plane is a horizontal plane, also called the axial plane or transaxial plane, that divides the body at the waist and splits it into two sections (shown below). These two sections are called the superior and the inferior section. The superior section is the top half of the body from the waist up containing the stomach area, arms and head. The inferior section is the bottom half of the body from the waist down and contains the things, calves, and feet. The transverse plane is also perpendicular to the coronal and the midsagittal planes.