ANT 211
Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology
Learning Bones I: Basic Terminology
(page 4 of 6)
III. Planes
The planes are obviously imaginary; they're like flat surfaces cutting through the body dividing it into different parts (which is why it's good that they're imaginary). Planes are useful for understanding the sutures of the skull, and for describing trauma to a body or bones.
| 1. | Sagittal | This plane divides the body in bilaterally into right and left sides, through the midline. |
| 2. | Coronal | This plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sides, think of coronal like coronation, or corona which is a crown. |
| 3. | Frontal | Same as coronal. |
| 4. | Transverse | "Trans" means across (like transport, transfer, translate, etc.). Transverse divides the body horizontally into superior and inferior halves. |
| 5. | Horizontal | Same as transverse. |