by Dr. Gary Farr on 28 May 2002
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The term "anatomy" comes from the Greek word "anatémnein", meaning to "cut apart" or "dissect".
And yet it is not sufficient to view anatomy merely as the art of dissection. It is rather the science concerned with the construction and composition of the human body.
At the beginning of the Modern Age, the dissection of corpses led to knowledge about the human organs.
In this context, macroscopic anatomy became known as everything in the human body recognizable to the naked eye.
To recognize smaller correlations, the microscope had to be invented. In modern times, microscopic anatomy has been further complemented by submicroscopic anatomy, facilitated through the invention of the electron microscope.
The main concern of anatomy is to recognize the relationships, the connections between the individual components within the human body.
Medical professionals often refer to sections of the body in terms of anatomical planes (flat surfaces). These planes are imaginary lines – vertical or horizontal – drawn through an upright body. The terms are used to describe a specific body part.
Listed below are general anatomical terms and their meanings.
| Coronal Plane or Frontal Plane
Sagittal Plane or Lateral Plane Axial Plane or Transverse Plane |
 |
 | |
| Anatomical Terms | Direction |
| Medial | Toward the midline of the body |
| Lateral | Away from the midline of the body |
| Proximal | Toward a reference point (extremity) |
| Distal | Away from a reference point (extremity) |
| Inferior | Lower or below |
| Superior | Upper or above |
| Cephalad or Cranial | Head |
| Caudal or Caudad | Tail, tail end |
| Anterior | Toward the front |
| Posterior | Toward the back |
| Dorsal | Posterior |
| Ventral | Anterior |
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