Frontal planeAlso called the coronal plane. It separates front from back.
Transverse planeOther names: axial or horizontal plane. It separates upper from lower.
Median planeThe sagittal plane through the midline; it makes right and left halves.
Anatomical positionStanding upright, arms at the sides, palms facing forward.
Sagittal plane (off the midline)Any plane parallel to the median plane; it separates right from left.
Sections 3
Sagittal sectionA cut along a sagittal plane; this one is in the midline.
Frontal sectionA cut along a frontal plane, also called a coronal section.
Transverse sectionA cut along a transverse plane, also called a cross section.
How this list was compiled: Every name and detail line was checked on 2026-09-30 against Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 1918 (public domain), Introduction, https://archive.org/details/anatomyofhumanbo00grayrich; the US National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules, Anatomical Terminology, https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/body/terminology.html; Kenhub, Directional terms and body planes, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/directional-terms-and-body-planes; TeachMeAnatomy, Anatomical Planes, https://teachmeanatomy.info/the-basics/anatomical-terminology/planes/; and Wikipedia, Anatomical plane, text only. Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Own original drawing; nothing traced or copied. Licence: own work
How it works
Label the planes of the body on one standing figure: three flat sheets cut it from front to back, from side to side and level with the ground. A second view shows the section each plane gives.
Read the full guide
Three planes at right angles
The median plane runs from front to back through the midline. A frontal plane runs from side to side. A transverse plane is level with the ground. Any plane parallel to the median plane is a sagittal plane: the small figure shows one through a shoulder and a leg.
From plane to section
A section is the cut a plane makes. The head is shown in sagittal, frontal and transverse section. The page opens as a body planes anatomy quiz; as a body planes labeling worksheet, print it blank and write in the names.
Frontal and coronal are two names for one plane. Transverse, axial and horizontal are three names for another.
Sagittal planes take their name from the sagittal suture, the seam along the top of the skull.
Questions and answers
What are the three planes of the body?
The sagittal, frontal and transverse planes. A sagittal plane divides the body into right and left, a frontal plane into front and back, and a transverse plane into upper and lower parts. The three are at right angles to one another.
What is the difference between the median plane and a sagittal plane?
The median plane is the one sagittal plane that passes through the midline and gives right and left halves. Every other sagittal plane is parallel to it, to one side.
Is the frontal plane the same as the coronal plane?
Yes. Frontal plane and coronal plane are two names for the upright plane that separates the front of the body from the back. It runs through the coronal suture of the skull, or parallel to it.
What is the anatomical position?
The body stands upright with the arms at the sides and the palms facing forward. The planes are described on a body in this position, whichever way a person is really sitting or lying.