The Human Body Flashcards
Inferior (caudal)
Away from the head end or toward the lower part of a structure or the body; below.
Ex. The navel is inferior to the breastbone.
Superior (cranial or cephalad)
Toward the head end or upper part of a structure or the body; above.
Ex. The forehead is superior to the nose.
Anterior (ventral)
To ward or at the front of the body; in front of.
Ex. The breastbone is anterior to the spine.
Posterior (dorsal)
Toward or at the backside of the body; behind.
Ex. The heart in posterior to the breastbone.
Medial
Toward the middle of the body; on the inner side of.
Ex. The heart is medial to the arm.
Lateral
Away from the midline of the body; on the outer side of.
Ex. The arms are lateral to the chest.
Deep
Away from the body’s surface; more internal.
Ex. The lungs are deep to the skin.
Superficial
Toward or at the body surface.
Ex. The skin is superficial to the skeleton.
Distal
Farther from the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk.
Ex. The knee is distal to the thigh.
Intermediate
Between a more medial and a more lateral structure.
Ex. The collarbone is intermediate between the breastbone and shoulder.
Proximal
Close to the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk.
Ex. The elbow is proximal to the wrist ( meaning the elbow is closer to the shoulder or attachment point of the arm than the wrist).
Transverse
Horizontal plane that divides the body into upper and lower portions; also called cross-section.
Frontal
Plane that runs perpendicular to the sagittal plane and divides the body into anterior and posterior (front and back) portions.
Sagittal
Plane that runs down through the body, dividing the body into left and right portions.
