Directional Terms

Question 1

anterior / ventral

Answer 1

structure is towards the front of the body or body part

Question 2

posterior / dorsal

Answer 2

structure is to the backside of the body or body part

Question 3

superior

Answer 3

structure is towards or closer to the head

Question 4

inferior

Answer 4

structure is away from the head, “towards the tail”

Question 5

when are superior and inferior used to describe structures?

Answer 5

only when the structures are in the axial region

Question 6

axial region

Answer 6

head, neck, trunk

Question 7

proximal

Answer 7

closeness of a structure to its point of origin

Question 8

distal

Answer 8

distance of a structure from its point of origin

Question 9

medial

Answer 9

structure position is closer to the midline of the body

Question 10

lateral

Answer 10

structure position is farther away from the midline of the body

Question 11

superficial

Answer 11

structure that is closer to the surface of the body or skin

Question 12

deep

Answer 12

structures farther away from the skins surface

Question 13

example of a “point of origin”

Answer 13

the shoulder or hip