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ANATOMICAL POSITIONS

As mentioned before, we must come up with a common language or vocabulary that is universally accepted (or a language accepted world wide) so that we can all understand the same principles when we describe things that relate to the human body.

Just think- imagine a doctor coming from Europe and doing an operation on someone in Canada with another doctor but they both use different terms to describe the human body? It wouldn’t work too well would it!

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THE ANATOMICAL POSITION

ANATOMICAL POSITION: Anatomists and physiologists view the human body in this standard starting point

DESCRIPTION:

- #1. Standing in upright standing position

- #2. Face and feet pointing forward

- #3. Arms hanging at the sides with palms facing forward

WHY?:

• Starting reference point for describing the human body

• Universally accepted

• Used in all anatomical descriptions

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DIRECTIONAL TERMS

Reminder: All directional terms are based on the assumption that the body is in the anatomical position.

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LATERAL AND MEDIAL

Lateral: away from the midline of the body

Medial: towards the midline

For Example:

1. Your ears are lateral to your cheeks

2. Your cheeks are medial to that of your ears

Now lets try a few on your own!

The hand is ________ (medial or lateral) to that of your stomach.

The shoulder is _____ (medial or lateral) to that of your neck.

If you mentioned lateral for both, then you got it correct! We will practice more in the questions in the “What you will need to do” section of the moodle activity. 5

DISTAL AND PROXIMAL

Distal: towards the lower segment of a limb

Proximal: towards the upper segment of a limb

For Example:

1. Your hand is distal to that of your shoulder joint.

2. Your elbow is proximal to that of your hand.

Now let’s try a few on your own!

The knee is _______ (distal or proximal) to that of your

waist.

The thigh is _______ (distal or proximal) to that of

your shin bone.

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If you answered distal for the first question and proximal for the second question, you are on the right track! We will practice more in the “What you will need to do” section of the moodle activity.

ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR

Anterior: in front of or front of your body

Posterior: behind or back of your body

For Example:

- Your lips are anterior to your teeth.

- Your tongue is posterior to your teeth.

- In the anatomical position, the palms are

Facing the anterior of your body (faces the front).

Now lets try a few on our own!

The chest is anterior or posterior?

The toe is anterior or posterior of the ankle?

If you answered anterior to both those

questions, you are on the right track!

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SUPERIOR AND INFERIOR

Superior: Above

Inferior: Below

For Example:

1. Your lips are superior to your chin

2. Your ribs are inferior to your head.

3. Your knee is superior to your ankle.

Now let’s try a few on our own!

The shin bone is superior or inferior to that of

your arm.

The wrist is superior or inferior of your elbow.

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Superior

Inferior

If you answered inferior for both of them then youare on the right track! We will practice more of these in the “What you will need to do” section of the moodle activity.

SUPINE AND PRONE

Supine:

- lying on back

- example: when laying in bed

Prone:

- lying face-down

- example: when doing a push-up

9Prone positionSupine position

ANATOMICAL POSITIONS

So you have just reviewed the first set of anatomical positions! Here are the terms you have just looked at and will get familiar with them as we will use them to describe human positions.

1. The Anatomical Position- person standing erect with palms, feet, and head facing forward.

2. lateral- away from the midline of body

3. medial- towards midline of body

4. distal- to farther end of limb

5. proximal- closer end of limb

6. anterior- front of something or facing the front

7. posterior- behind something or facing the back

8. superior- above

9. inferior- below

10. supine- laying on back

11. prone- laying face-down (or usually on stomach)

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Noticed how you learned all these terms but I grouped them based on opposites? For example lateral and medial, distal and proximal, anterior and posterior etc. This willhelp you understand and learn the terms. When you are not sure of one, try and thinkof the opposite and then it may help you recall what the term or direction is. We will apply these terms in many cases so that you have practice and become familiar with it.