Sagittal plane is a vertical plane which passes from front to rear dividing the body into right and left sections.

Variations

Examples include:

• The terms median plane
  Median plane
  The median plane is a Midsagittal plane which bisects the body vertically through the navel, dividing the body exactly in left and right side.Sagittal plane is any plane parallel to the median plane....
  
  or mid-sagittal plane are sometimes used to describe the sagittal plane running through the midline. This plane cuts the body into halves (assuming bilateral symmetry), passing through midline structures such as the navel
  Navel
  The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
  
   and spine
  Vertebral column
  In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
  
  . It is one of the lines defining the right upper quadrant of the human abdomen.

• It is also worth mentioning that terms such as parasagittal are sometimes used to describe a plane parallel to the midline; however, this term is unnecessary, since any plane parallel to and on either side of the medial plane is sagittal by definition.

• In general, planes that are parallel to the sagittal plane, but do not pass through the midline, are known as parasagittal.
  • The midclavicular line
    Midclavicular line
    A midclavicular line is a vertical line crossing through the left or right clavicle.-Clinical significance:It is useful for evaluating hepatomegaly and identifying heart sounds, as well as finding the gallbladder...
    
     crosses through the clavicle
    Clavicle
    In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
    
    .
  • Other sagittal lines/planes include the lateral sternal and parasternal.

Terminology

The term sagittal is derived from the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 word Sagitta, meaning "arrow". An image of an arrow piercing a body and passing from front (anterior) to back (posterior) on a parabolic trajectory

Trajectory of a projectile

In physics, the ballistic trajectory of a projectile is the path that a thrown or launched projectile will take under the action of gravity, neglecting all other forces, such as friction from air resistance, without propulsion....

 would be one way to demonstrate the derivation of the term. Another explanation would be the notching of the sagittal suture

Sagittal suture

The sagittal suture is a dense, fibrous connective tissue joint between the two parietal bones of the skull. The term is derived from the Latin word Sagitta, meaning "arrow". The derivation of this term may be demonstrated by observing how the sagittal suture is notched posteriorly, like an arrow,...

 posteriorly by the lambdoidal suture —similar to feathers on an arrow.

• Sagittal axis is the axis perpendicular to the sagittal plane, i.e., the sagittal axis is formed by the intersection of the coronal and the transversal planes.

• Abduction
  Abduction (kinesiology)
  Abduction, in functional anatomy, is a movement which draws a limb away from the median plane of the body. It is thus opposed to adduction.-Upper limb:* of arm at shoulder ** Supraspinatus** Deltoid* of hand at wrist...
  
  and adduction
  Adduction
  Adduction is a movement which brings a part of the anatomy closer to the middle sagittal plane of the body. It is opposed to abduction.-Upper limb:* of arm at shoulder ** Subscapularis** Teres major** Pectoralis major** Infraspinatus...
  
  are terms for movements of limbs relative to the coronal plane.

• Coronal axis or frontal axis is the axis perpendicular to the coronal plane, i.e., the one formed by the intersection of the sagittal and the transversal planes. Extension
  Extension (kinesiology)
  In kinesiology, extension is a movement of a joint that results in increased angle between two bones or body surfaces at a joint. Extension usually results in straightening of the bones or body surfaces involved. For example, extension is produced by extending the flexed elbow. Straightening of...
  
  and flexion
  Flexion
  In anatomy, flexion is a position that is made possible by the joint angle decreasing. The skeletal and muscular systems work together to move the joint into a "flexed" position. For example the elbow is flexed when the hand is brought closer to the shoulder...
  
  are the movements of limbs relative to the sagittal plane.