anatomical position

(noun)

The standard position in which the body is standing with feet together, arms to the side, and head, eyes, and palms facing forward.

Related Terms

Examples of anatomical position in the following topics:

  • Anatomical Position

    • When an organism is in its standard anatomical position, positional descriptive terms are used to indicate regions and features.
    • All descriptions refer to the organism in its standard anatomical position, even when the organism's appendages are in another position.
    • The standard anatomical position is agreed upon by the international medical community.
    • It is important to note that all anatomical descriptions are based on the standard anatomical position unless otherwise stated.
    • The regions of the body in standard anatomical position, in which the body is erect.

  • Directional Terms

    • Positional terms give precise descriptions of anatomical relationships and allow for consistency when referencing anatomical positions.
    • They allow a description of anatomical position by comparing location relative to other structures or within the rest of the body.
    • Standard anatomical terms for direction include:
    • Anterior refers to the side of the structure facing up in the standard anatomical position while posterior refers to the bottom side.
    • Lateral is used to describe anything closer to the sides of the body (toward the arms, in the standard anatomical position), while medial is used to describe anything toward the middle of the body.

  • Body Planes and Sections

    • Reference planes are the standard planes used in anatomical terminology and include:
    • By imaging a patient in standard anatomical position, a radiologist can build an X-Y-Z axis around the patient to apply body planes to the images.
    • The planes can then be used to identify and locate the positions of the patient's internal organs.
    • Anatomical change during embryological development is also described and measured with body planes.
    • A human in the anatomical position, can be described using a coordinate system with the Z-axis going from front to back, the X-axis going from left to right, and the Y-axis going from up to down.

  • Interactions of Skeletal Muscles

    • Skeletal muscles interact to produce movements by way of anatomical positioning and the coordinated summation of innervation signals.
    • At peak contraction the muscle relaxes and returns to its resting position.

  • Tibia and Fibula (The Leg)

  • Regional Terms and Axes

    • The X, Y, and Z axes of the Cartesian coordinate system are used describe the specific location of an axis in standard anatomical position.
    • Axes give more clarity and detail for describing the location of an anatomical region.
    • They are commonly used in both zoology and human anatomy, and can be paired with body planes to give even more detail to anatomical direction, region, and location.

  • Defining Anatomy

    • Gross (macroscopic) anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye, such as the external and internal bodily organs.
    • Microscopic anatomy is the study of tiny anatomical structures such as tissues and cells.
    • Surface anatomy (or superficial anatomy) is the study of external anatomical features without dissection.
    • Surface anatomy is also widely used to gauge the position and structure of deeper organs, tissues, and systems.
    • Generally, medical and biology students learn about the human body from anatomical models, skeletons, textbooks, diagrams, photographs, lectures, and tutorials.

  • Anatomical Changes

    • The woman's abdomen will transform in shape as the abdomen drops due to the fetus turning in a downward position ready for birth, and the woman will be able to lift her belly up and down.
    • Describe anatomic changes to the pregnant woman that occur over the course of the pregnancy

  • General Organization of the Somatosensory System

    • The somatosensory system is composed of the neurons that make sensing touch, temperature, and position in space possible.
    • It is responsible for sensing touch, temperature, posture, limb position, and more.
    • A cortical homunculus is the brains physical representation of the human body; it is a neurological map of the anatomical divisions of the body.
    • BA 3a is involved with the sense of relative position of neighboring body parts and amount of effort being used during movement.
    • Describe how the somatosensory system is composed of neurons that make sensing touch, temperature and position in space possible

  • Anatomy of the Digestive System

    • This image shows the position of the small intestine in the gastrointestinal tract.