Anatomical Position
(Sample Lesson)
Description
Anatomists use a standardized body pose called the anatomical position to assign directional terms (e.g. front, back, sides) to the body regions.
A body in the anatomical position ……
- is erect with the arms placed to the sides,
- the legs and feet are at shoulder width and parallel,
- and the face, palms, and feet are directed forward.
The assigned directional terms still apply even if the body regions change position. For example, the palmer surface of the hand is still considered to be anterior even if the wrist is turned over and the palmar surface faces backward. Without this standardized approach, assigning directional terms to the body’s moveable parts would become much more confusing.
Page Attributions
OpenStax College, Anatomy and Physiology
Access for free at – https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-introduction
Reference: “Overview of Anatomy and Physiology“
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reference: “Standard Anatomical Position“
