The following anatomical directional terms are commonly used in neurology to navigate through the brain:
Direction | Description |
|---|---|
Ventral (Inferior) | Towards the front (belly) of the body or towards the bottom of the head |
Dorsal (Superior) | Towards the back of the body, or towards the top of the head |
Rostral (Anterior) | Towards the nose |
Caudal (Posterior) | Towards the feet (humans) or tail |
Lateral | Away from the midline |
Medial | Towards the midline |
Bilateral | On both sides of the body or head |
Ipsilateral | On the same side of the body or head |
Unilateral | On one side of the body |
Contralateral | On the opposite side of the body or head |
Coronal plane | A section or slice through the brain from the top and parallel to a line between the ears |
Horizontal plane | A section or slice through the brain from the back and parallel to a line between the eyes |
Sagittal plane | A section or slice through the brain from the top and parallel to the line of the nose |
Midsagittal plane | The sagittal plane that runs along the midline of the brain and divides the brain into two equal halves |
Directional Terms links:
Source details
Author: Paul Jones
Archive capture: . This is not a medical review date.