Directional Terms: Front and Back: Study with Video Lessons, Practice Problems & Examples

Understanding anatomical terms is crucial for describing body positions. "Anterior" refers to the front, while "posterior" indicates the back. In humans, these terms align with "ventral" (belly) and "dorsal" (toward the spine). For example, the chest is anterior to the back, and the nose is anterior to the ear. This terminology is essential for clear communication in anatomy and physiology, especially when discussing movement and orientation in both humans and animals.

Anterior and Posterior

For the front and the back of the body, we're going to have 2 sets of terms, and these 2 sets of terms are going to be largely redundant. We're going to focus more on the first set of terms because you're more likely to be tested on it. And at least in this set of the videos going forward, we're going to always try to use that first set of terms just for consistency. The second set of terms, you may be tested on it. But regardless, you probably still just want to know it because they're used commonly enough that you're going to see it sometimes and when you do see it, you're going to want to know what it means.

Alright. So that first set of terms is just anterior and posterior, and anterior just means towards the front. Well, posterior means towards the back. Now for anterior and posterior, these words are really referring to the way you move. So when you move forward, the part of you that is facing forward, that is your anterior part of the body.

And when you move forward, the part of you that is facing backwards, that's your posterior part of the body. So we can use some examples here. Right? The chest is going to be anterior to the back. The back is going to be posterior to the chest.

We'll do another one. The nose is anterior to the ear. The ear is posterior to the nose. Remember, all things are relative, in comparison to something else. So while the ear was posterior to the nose, the ear is anterior to the back of the head.

All right. For that other set of terms, our set of terms are ventral and dorsal. Ventral just means towards the belly, and dorsal means towards the back. But when we're saying back this time, we mean more like towards the spine, towards the back of the body. Now in humans, when you walk forward, your belly is facing forward.

So anterior and ventral are the same. And likewise, posterior and dorsal are the same if you walk on 2 legs. That's not true for most animals, and that's why we have two sets of terms that end up being redundant in humans. In a dog, the dog is walking on all fours. Its face is facing forward in an anterior direction, but its belly, its ventral side, is facing down towards the ground.

So in something that walks on all fours, anterior and ventral are sort of at a 90 degree angle. But if you stand on 2 legs, they face the same way. Alright. With that, we have an example and some practice problems below. I'll see you there.

Directional Terms: Front and Back Example 1

This example asks us to put some marks on this body based on our anatomical directional terms, and as we look, we have a silhouette of a female body looking towards the right. So first off, we want to put an asterisk anterior to the calf muscle. Well, the calf muscle is down here in the back of the leg, and anterior means anywhere towards the front of the body. So I'm going to put an asterisk right on the shin here. Pretty good.

Next up, we have an 'o' posterior to the navel or the belly button. Well, the navel or belly button right here in the front of the abdomen. Posterior to that, posterior means anywhere towards the back of the body. So I'm going to put my 'o' sort of behind the belly button right here, kind of on the small of the back. Next up, we have a plus on the ventral side of the neck.

Remember ventral and dorsal, we said you're less likely to be responsible for, but you should know them just because they come up so much. So ventral means towards the front or towards the belly of the body. So the front of the neck is where we're going to put this plus sign. I'm going to put it right here. And then finally, 'x' on the dorsal side of the abdomen.

The dorsal side of the abdomen, dorsal towards the back of the body, abdomen that, you know, the middle part of your trunk. Well, that's right where I put the 'o' on the small of the back, but I'll put an 'x' right next to it. All right. With that, we have some more practice problems below, and I'll see you in the next video.

The spine is ______________ to the intestines.

• A. Anterior 
• B. Posterior
• C. Superior
• D. Inferior

During a surgery to insert a Deep Brain Stimulation device in a patient with Parkinson's disease, the surgeon wants to instruct the other doctors that the device should be moved closer to the patient's face. How could the doctor communicate this?

• A. Move the device anterior to the current location.
• B. Move the device superior to the current location. 
• C. Move the device inferior to the current location. 
• D. Move the device posterior to the current location.

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What is the difference between anterior and posterior in anatomical terms?

In anatomical terms, 'anterior' refers to the front of the body, while 'posterior' refers to the back. For example, the chest is anterior to the back, and the back is posterior to the chest. These terms are essential for describing the relative positions of body parts. When you move forward, the part of your body facing forward is the anterior part, and the part facing backward is the posterior part. Understanding these terms is crucial for clear communication in anatomy and physiology.

How do ventral and dorsal differ from anterior and posterior?

'Ventral' and 'dorsal' are terms that also describe the front and back of the body but are more specific to the belly and spine, respectively. In humans, 'ventral' is synonymous with 'anterior' (towards the belly), and 'dorsal' is synonymous with 'posterior' (towards the spine). However, in animals that walk on all fours, such as dogs, 'ventral' refers to the belly facing the ground, and 'dorsal' refers to the back facing upwards, making these terms not always interchangeable with 'anterior' and 'posterior'.

Why are anterior and ventral considered redundant in humans?

In humans, 'anterior' and 'ventral' are considered redundant because both terms refer to the front of the body. This redundancy occurs because humans walk on two legs, making the belly (ventral) face the same direction as the front (anterior). Similarly, 'posterior' and 'dorsal' both refer to the back of the body. This overlap in terminology is not present in quadrupedal animals, where 'ventral' and 'anterior' can be at different angles.

Can you provide examples of anatomical structures that are anterior and posterior to each other?

Sure! Here are a few examples: The chest is anterior to the back, meaning the chest is towards the front while the back is towards the rear. The nose is anterior to the ears, indicating the nose is in front of the ears. Conversely, the ears are posterior to the nose, meaning they are towards the back relative to the nose. These examples help illustrate the relative positioning of body parts using anterior and posterior terms.

How do the terms anterior and posterior apply to movement and orientation in humans?

In humans, 'anterior' and 'posterior' are used to describe the direction of movement and orientation. When you move forward, the part of your body facing forward is the anterior part, and the part facing backward is the posterior part. For example, when walking, your chest (anterior) leads the movement, while your back (posterior) follows. These terms help in understanding and describing the body's orientation and movement in a clear and consistent manner.