The transverse plane divides the body in which way?

• A. Vertical plane dividing left and right
• B. A plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior
• C. Horizontal division of the body into upper and lower portions
• D. A midline plane dividing front and back

Answer: (C)

Understanding planes of the body is about how a flat surface can cut through you. The transverse plane is a horizontal cut that divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) parts. It sits perpendicular to the sagittal plane, which splits left from right, and to the coronal (frontal) plane, which splits front from back. So the description “horizontal division of the body into upper and lower portions” is the precise way to define the transverse plane. The other descriptions refer to vertical cuts that separate left from right or front from back, not a horizontal top-and-bottom division.