Anatomical position and directions

Describe a location from the person’s perspective.

“Above” and “left” can be confusing when people face different ways. Anatomy starts with one shared reference position.

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Anatomical position

The standard reference: upright, facing forward, arms at the sides, palms forward.

For example

We describe relationships using this reference even if the person is lying down.

Read all notes for this section

Anatomical position: The standard reference: upright, facing forward, arms at the sides, palms forward. We describe relationships using this reference even if the person is lying down.
Medial / lateral: Medial is nearer the body’s midline; lateral is farther from it. The nose is medial to the eyes. The ears are lateral to the eyes.
Proximal / distal: Nearer to or farther from a structure’s origin or attachment. The shoulder is proximal to the elbow; the wrist is distal to the elbow.
Superficial / deep: Closer to the body surface or farther beneath it. Skin is superficial to muscle. Bone is deep to the skin.

Agree on a starting position

Anatomical position is a shared reference: stand upright, face forward, arms by your sides, palms forward and feet pointing forward. Descriptions use this reference even if the person later lies down. Right and left belong to that person, not to the viewer.

Learn directions in pairs

Superior means towards the head; inferior means towards the feet. Anterior means towards the front; posterior means towards the back. Medial means towards the body’s midline; lateral means away from it. For example, the breastbone (sternum) is anterior to the heart. Always say what you are comparing.

Describe a limb or a depth

Along a limb, proximal means nearer its attachment to the trunk; distal means farther away. The elbow is proximal to the wrist. Superficial means nearer the body surface; deep means farther inside. Skin is superficial to muscle, and muscle is deep to skin.

Explore the illustration

Look at the whole view first. Then select one label and connect it to the idea you just read.

A shared reference position

Front view: the subject faces you, palms forward. Right and left belong to the subject.

More controls

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01 / 7 Superior

Superior means towards the head. The chest is superior to the pelvis.

The moving arrow shows the selected direction. Right and left refer to the subject, not the viewer. The body remains in the same reference position. Reduced motion is enabled. Use the arrows to study one step at a time, or choose Play.

Superior

Towards the head. The head is superior to the chest.

Illustration credits

Goran tek-en · Male front 3d-shaded human illustration.svg · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Adapted for this lesson: labels removed, artwork cropped or recoloured, and interactive teaching overlays added. Adapted artwork retains its source licence.

Go deeper

In-depth reading

Follow this example step by step, then try explaining it yourself. The extra reading is optional: you can return to it after exploring the illustration.

Worked example: describing a mark on a forearm

First name the person’s side: the right forearm. If the person faces you, that forearm appears on your left. Moving around the person does not change which forearm is right.
Next identify the surface using anatomical position. The palm-facing surface of the forearm is anterior. Finally compare the mark with a known structure: it is distal to the elbow if it lies towards the wrist.
Put it together: “A mark on the anterior right forearm, distal to the elbow.” This states side, region, surface and relationship. It is clearer than “a mark on the left of the picture.”

Explain it yourself

Is the wrist proximal or distal to the elbow?

Show the explanation

Distal: the wrist lies farther from the upper limb’s attachment to the trunk than the elbow does. The elbow is proximal to the wrist.

More detail — when you are ready

These notes expand the mechanisms and vocabulary. Read one topic at a time and find the structures in the illustration.

Use the person as the reference

Anatomical position standardises descriptions even when the person lies down or moves a limb. The head and eyes face forward, arms lie at the sides, palms face anteriorly and feet point forward.

The thumb is lateral to the little finger in this reference position. Right and left belong to the person, not the observer.

A structure does not change from right to left when you walk around the body. Supine means lying face upward; prone means lying face downward.

These describe posture, not a new definition of anatomical directions.

Choose a relationship, then name both structures

Superior and inferior compare headward and footward position. Anterior and posterior compare front and back.

Medial and lateral compare distance from the median plane. Proximal and distal are especially useful along a limb: the shoulder is proximal to the elbow, and the hand is distal to it.

Superficial and deep compare depth from the surface. A single structure can satisfy several descriptions: the sternum is anterior to the heart, medial to the shoulders and superficial to deeper thoracic contents.

No directional term replaces the need for a named reference.

Worked description: a forearm finding

“A mark on the left of the image” is ambiguous. “A mark on the anterior surface of the person’s right forearm, distal to the elbow” identifies side, surface, region and relationship.

Ipsilateral means on the same side; contralateral means on opposite sides. The right hand and right foot are ipsilateral even though far apart.

Use these terms to communicate spatial information, not to infer a diagnosis. When an image has an orientation marker, check it before translating the picture into words.