Which plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sections?

• A. Frontal plane
• B. Median plane
• C. Coronal plane
• D. Horizontal plane

Answer: (C)

The plane that splits the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections is the coronal plane, also called the frontal plane. It runs vertically and divides the body into what’s toward the front versus the back, which is exactly the distinction described by anterior and posterior. In many anatomy texts, the terms coronal and frontal are used interchangeably, though some prefer coronal as the more precise anatomical name. By comparison, the median (or midsagittal) plane cuts left from right, and the horizontal (transverse) plane cuts above from below. So the coronal/frontal plane is the one that creates the anterior-posterior division.