Directional Terms Flashcards
Anterior
Toward the front
Posterior
Toward the back/behind
Superior
top/above
Inferior
towards the bottom/below
Ventral
Towards the belly/belly side
( equivalent to anterior when referring to human body)
Dorsal
Toward the back
(equivalent to posterior when referring to human body)
Rostral
Toward the beak
Caudal
Toward the tail or end
Medial
Toward the center/middle
Midline
At the center/middle
Lateral
Away from the midline, towards the sides (right or left)
Proximal
closest to the center or point of attachment
Distal
Farthest from the center
Superficial
closer to the surface
Deep
further inside/ away from the surface/ toward the interior of the body
Cranial
Toward the head
Cephalic
(same as cranial)
Frontal
toward the front
Ipsilateral
on the same side
Contralateral
on the opposite side
Bilateral
on both sides
Unilateral
on one side
Parietal
wall of a body cavity
Visceral
organs inside cavities of the body (viscera= the organs)
Is the thumb lateral or medial to the pinky/smallest finger?
Lateral
For a human, is the vertebral column ventral or dorsal to the belly button/umbilicus?
dorsal
Which term best describes where my cerebrum is compared to by brainstem?
Cerebrum is superior, dorsal b/c of the horizontal bend of the neuroaxis, cranial, cephalic, and maybe superficial but not a great use of the term, not really rostral though you may have considered it—but the cerebrum is not really more toward the beak.
Frontal plane
creating front and back
- also known as coronal
Sagittal Plane
divides side to side, right and left
Transverse Plane
cut horizontal through the belly button.
- divides body into superior and inferior parts (top/bottom)
- horizontal or axil plane
