Anatomical Position: Body Planes and Sections
Great review of the anatomical position, body planes, and anatomy sections! Includes labeled diagrams and examples of sagittal, coronal, transverse, and oblique planes, movements, and directional terms!
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Anatomical Planes and Sections
Looking for a simple guide that easily explains the different planes and sections of the body?
You have come to the right spot!
We will first review the anatomical position as that provides a clear reference point for each body plane, section, and axis.
We will then discuss sagittal, coronal, transverse, oblique, and longitudinal planes - providing you with high-yield descriptions, simple definitions, and example labeled diagrams!
Not enough? Good, because there is more!
You will also leave here with simple acronyms and tricks to remember the different planes and sections of the body!
This post will help us prepare for the next lecture on anatomical directional terms!
Let’s get started!
Anatomical Body Planes and Sections: We will review the major body planes including sagittal (S), coronal (C), and transverse (T), as well as oblique and longitudinal.
Standard Anatomical Position
In order to understand the different body planes, we need to know what the standard anatomical position is.
The standard anatomical position refers to the body orientation used to describe:
Anatomical Planes or Sections (this lecture)
Anatomical Directional Terms (next lecture)
The anatomical position becomes important clinically when describing locations of pain, injuries, rashes, surgical procedures, imaging, and much more.
The anatomical position provides a universal, consistent way of discussing anatomy.
Furthermore, it creates clear reference points when describing anatomical positions or using anatomical terms.
Anatomical Position: The body orientation used to describe body planes and sections, anatomical terms, and anatomical directions.
Anatomical Position
The correct anatomical position is the following:
Standing upright
Head and eyes directed straight ahead
Upper limbs hanging down at the sides
Upper limbs slightly away from the trunk so the hands are not touching the sides
Palms facing forward
Thumbs pointing away from the body
Lower limbs together
Feet flat on the ground facing forward
Refer to the image below for an illustration of the standard anatomical position.
When in the anatomical position, right and left refer to the patient’s right and left side.
It does not refer to your right and left side as if you were looking at the patient.
In other words, if you were looking at the patient the right side will be your left side and the left side will be your right side (labeled “R” and “L” below).
Standard Anatomical Position: Standing upright, head and eyes directed straight ahead, arms at the sides, palms facing forward, thumbs pointing away from the body, legs together, and feet flat on the ground facing forward.
Body Planes and Sections
Now that we understand the anatomical position, let’s talk about the different planes of the body.
The terms body planes and sections are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different definitions.
Let’s review these terms.
What Are Body Planes?
Body planes are imaginary lines drawn through an upright body that is in anatomical position.
The major planes or imaginary lines run vertically or horizontally.
(There are also oblique planes that can run at an angle - more on this later).
The planes divide the body into different sections or portions.
For example, the planes might divide the body into right and left sections, upper and lower sections, or front and back sections depending on the direction of the cut.
The body planes provide different views or sections of the body, which then allows us to describe the location or direction of anatomical structures or features.
What Are Body Sections?
Now that we know what body planes are, how about body sections?
Well, we hinted to it above.
Sections are the portions or slices of the body created by the cut through the plane.
So again that could be right and left sections, upper and lower sections, or front and back sections depending on which plane the cut was made.
Sections allow us to look at different views of the body depending on the direction of the cut.
Simple Recap: The plane is the imaginary line, while the section is the portion or slice of the body created by the cut down the plane.
Definition of Body Planes and Sections: Planes are imaginary lines that create sections or slices of the body when a cut is made down that plane.
Types of Body Planes - Easy Trick!
There are 3 main body planes - sagittal, coronal, and transverse.
Oblique and longitudinal planes are minor planes discussed at the end.
A simple trick to remember the 3 major body planes is to take the word section, since we are discussing body planes and sections, and abbreviate it “SCT”.
This will help you remember Sagittal, Coronal, and Transverse.
Section = “SCT”
S = Sagittal Plane (Vertical)
C = Coronal Plane (Vertical)
T = Transverse Plane (Horizontal)
The sagittal plane is the green line labeled “S” on the image below, the coronal plane is the blue line labeled “C”, and the transverse plane is the yellow line labeled “T”.
If we use the abbreviation SCT, you can also remember the first 2 planes are vertical (sagittal and coronal), and the last plane is horizontal (transverse).
Let’s discuss each plane starting with the sagittal plane.
EASY TRICK: Remember the 3 major body planes and sections using the acronym or abbreviation “SCT” which stands for Sagittal, Coronal, and Transverse.
Sagittal Plane
As mentioned above, the sagittal plane is one of the vertical planes.
The imaginary line runs from top to bottom, and front to back.
The sagittal plane divides the body into right and left sections.
The midsagittal plane is the specific sagittal plane that runs exactly through the midline of the body, and it divides the body into equal right and left portions.
The midsagittal plane is also referred to as the median plane.
Mid, median, and middle all start with the letter “M”.
This can help you remember the “Midsagittal” plane runs down the “Middle” or “Midline” of the body.
A parasagittal plane is any of the sagittal planes off-center, and it divides the body into unequal right and left portions.
Parasagittal planes run parallel or alongside the midsagittal plane but are not in the midline.
Remember in our medical prefix lecture we said the prefix “para-” means alongside, beside, or nearby.
So it makes sense that the parasagittal plane is a sagittal plane that runs alongside the midsagittal plane.
Sagittal Plane: The sagittal plane runs vertically from top to bottom and front to back, and divides the body into right and left sections.
An easy trick to remember which plane is the sagittal plane is to think of “Sagittal” and “Side View”.
Both sagittal and side view start with the letter “S”.
When a cut is made through the sagittal plane, a side view of the body is created.
EASY TRICK: Remember “Sagittal” and “Side View” both start with the letter “S”. A cut through the sagittal plane will create a side view of the body.
Let’s look at examples to make sure we understand sagittal planes.
If we make a cut through the midsagittal plane of the man below and we spin the right and left sections that we just cut, then we are left with a side view of the body.
In other words, we are left with sagittal sections created by cuts along the sagittal plane.
You might also remember from our cranial bone and suture lecture that there is a suture called the sagittal suture.
The sagittal suture gets its name because it runs from front to back in the sagittal plane.
It is where the right and left parietal bones of the skull meet.
So this could help you remember the sagittal plane as well.
Sagittal Section: A sagittal section is created when a cut is made down the sagittal plane, providing a side view of the body.
Coronal (Frontal) Plane
Next we have the coronal plane.
Remember the coronal plane was the “C” in our abbreviation “SCT”, which helps us remember the 3 major planes of the body.
The coronal plane is also called the frontal plane.
As mentioned above, the coronal plane is a vertical plane as well.
The imaginary line runs from top to bottom, and right to left.
The coronal plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections.
An easy trick to remember the frontal plane is to again use the name.
The “Frontal” plane will give you a “Front View” of the body as it divides the body into front and back portions.
Remember the “Sagittal” plane will give you a “Side View” of the body, and they both start with the letter “S”.
Coronal Plane: A coronal plane runs vertically from top to bottom and right to left, and divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections.
You might also remember from our lecture on cranial bones and sutures that there is a suture called the coronal suture.
The coronal suture gets its name because it runs from right to left in the coronal plane.
It is where the frontal and parietal bones of the skull meet.
So this could help you remember the coronal plane as well.
Coronal Section: Use the coronal suture to remember a coronal section is created when a cut is made through the coronal plane, providing a front/back view of the body.
Transverse (Axial/Horizontal) Plane
Finally, we have the transverse plane.
Remember the transverse plane was the “T” in our abbreviation “SCT”, which helps us remember the 3 major planes of the body.
The transverse plane is also called the axial plane or horizontal plane, which makes sense because it is a horizontal line.
The imaginary line runs from right to left, and front to back.
You can use the “X” in axial to help you remember the transverse plane travels along the “X-axis”, which is the horizontal axis.
The transverse plane is the only horizontal plane, and it divides the body into top (superior) and bottom (inferior) sections.
An easy trick to remember the transverse plane is to again use the name.
The “Transverse” plane will give you a “Top View” of the body as it divides the body into upper and lower portions.
And just to review, the “Frontal” plane will give you a “Front View” of the body, and the “Sagittal” plane will give you a “Side View” of the body.
Transverse Plane: A transverse plane runs horizontally from right to left and front to back, and divides the body into top (superior) and bottom (inferior) sections.
Here are a few more tricks to remember the transverse plane.
If the body is divided into a top and bottom section using a transverse plane, then you will be left with an upper body shaped like a “T” and a lower body shaped like an upside down “V”.
The “T” and “V” can help you remember the word transverse.
We also learned in our medical prefix lecture that the prefix “trans-” means across or through.
Finally, we said the transverse plane is also called the horizontal plane.
You can think of the horizon with horizontal plane, and this can help you remember it travels across.
Transverse Section: A transverse section is created when a cut is made down the transverse plane, providing a top/bottom view of the body. Use the tricks above to remember the transverse plane.
Longitudinal Planes
There are a couple other planes to discuss - longitudinal and oblique.
A longitudinal plane is any plane that is perpendicular to the transverse plane.
We can see in our diagram below the sagittal and coronal planes run perpendicular to the transverse plane.
Therefore, both the coronal and sagittal planes are examples of longitudinal planes.
A simple trick to remember longitudinal planes is to think of the globe’s longitudinal lines that run up and down.
This can help you remember the longitudinal planes run vertically or perpendicular to the transverse plane.
Longitudinal Planes: Any plane perpendicular to the transverse plane. Coronal and sagittal planes are examples of longitudinal planes.
Oblique Planes
Finally, a plane can be oblique.
An oblique plane is any plane that is not horizontal or vertical.
In other words, an oblique plane is any plane that is not in any of the sagittal, coronal, or transverse planes.
Oblique planes can run at any angle through the body as long as they are not horizontal or vertical, as that would mean they are one of the other major planes.
You can think of the oblique muscles that travel at an angle to help you remember oblique planes.
Or you can think of “Oblique” and “Odd”, which both start with the letter “O”, to help you remember oblique planes are odd and travel at strange angles.
Oblique Planes: Any plane that is not horizontal or vertical, i.e. not in any of the sagittal, coronal, or transverse planes. Oblique planes run at angles.
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