{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T20:41:30+00:00","modifiedTime":"2017-02-27T20:14:16+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:34+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Science","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33756"},"slug":"science","categoryId":33756},{"name":"Anatomy","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33757"},"slug":"anatomy","categoryId":33757}],"title":"Anatomical Planes of the Body","strippedTitle":"anatomical planes of the body","slug":"anatomical-planes-of-the-body","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"You may not think about the planes of your body much, but you have them nonetheless, and if you're talking anatomy, knowing the names of the planes comes in han","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"You may not think about the planes of your body much, but you have them nonetheless, and if you're talking anatomy, knowing the names of the planes comes in handy. (Too bad <em>sagittal</em> and <em>transverse</em> don't lend themselves to song as easily as <em>rain</em> and <em>Spain</em> do.) The main planes and their subplanes are in the following list:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Sagittal:</strong> The plane that runs down through the body, dividing the body into left and right portions. Subsections of the sagittal plane include</p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Midsagittal: </strong>Runs through the median plane and divides along the line of symmetry</p>\r\n</li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Parasagittal: </strong>Parallel to the midline but does not divide into equal left and right portions</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Frontal (coronal):</strong> The plane that runs perpendicular to the sagittal plane and divides the body into anterior (front) and <em>posterior</em> (back) portions</p>\r\n</li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Transverse:</strong> Horizontal plane that divides the body into upper and lower portions; also called <em>cross-section</em></p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"You may not think about the planes of your body much, but you have them nonetheless, and if you're talking anatomy, knowing the names of the planes comes in handy. 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Subsections of the sagittal plane include</p>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Midsagittal: </strong>Runs through the median plane and divides along the line of symmetry</p>\r\n</li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Parasagittal: </strong>Parallel to the midline but does not divide into equal left and right portions</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Frontal (coronal):</strong> The plane that runs perpendicular to the sagittal plane and divides the body into anterior (front) and <em>posterior</em> (back) portions</p>\r\n</li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Transverse:</strong> Horizontal plane that divides the body into upper and lower portions; also called <em>cross-section</em></p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10193,"name":"Maggie A. 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Anatomical Planes of the Body

By: Maggie A. Norris and Donna Rae Siegfried and

Updated: 02-27-2017

From The Book: Anatomy & Physiology For Dummies

Anatomy & Physiology For Dummies

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You may not think about the planes of your body much, but you have them nonetheless, and if you're talking anatomy, knowing the names of the planes comes in handy. (Too bad sagittal and transverse don't lend themselves to song as easily as rain and Spain do.) The main planes and their subplanes are in the following list:

Sagittal: The plane that runs down through the body, dividing the body into left and right portions. Subsections of the sagittal plane include
- Midsagittal: Runs through the median plane and divides along the line of symmetry
- Parasagittal: Parallel to the midline but does not divide into equal left and right portions
Frontal (coronal): The plane that runs perpendicular to the sagittal plane and divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions
Transverse: Horizontal plane that divides the body into upper and lower portions; also called cross-section

About This Article

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Anatomy & Physiology For Dummies ,

About the book authors:

Erin Odya is an anatomy and physiology teacher at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, one of Indiana’s top schools.

Maggie Norris is a freelance science writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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