Directional Terms

Question 1

superior

Answer 1

above or higher in position; toward the head

Question 2

cranial or cephalic

Answer 2

relating to the skull or head; toward the head.

Question 3

inferior

Answer 3

below or lower in positon; toward the feet

Question 4

rostral

Answer 4

relation to the nose and mouth region; toward the face

Question 5

caudal

Answer 5

relating to the tail; at or near the tail or posterior part of the body

Question 6

anterior

Answer 6

nearer to or at the front of the body

Question 7

posterior

Answer 7

nearer to or at the back of the body

Question 8

ventral

Answer 8

relating to the belly side of the body; toward the belly

Question 9

dorsal

Answer 9

relating to the back side of the body; toward the back

Question 10

medial

Answer 10

nearer to the midline

Question 11

lateral

Answer 11

farther from the midline

Question 12

intermediate

Answer 12

between two structures

Question 13

ipsilateral

Answer 13

on the same side of the body’s midline as another structure

Question 14

contralateral

Answer 14

on the opposite side of the body’s midline from another structure

Question 15

proximal

Answer 15

nearer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk; nearer to the origination of a structure

Question 16

distal

Answer 16

farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk; farther from the origination of a structure

Question 17

superficial

Answer 17

toward or on the surface of the body

Question 18

deep

Answer 18

away from the surface of the body

Question 19

external

Answer 19

toward the outside of a structure

Question 20

internal

Answer 20

toward the inside of a structure