Topic 10: Skeletal System - Anatomical position + Directional Terms

Question 1

What does anatomical position mean?

Answer 1

• feet, face, and palms facing forward

Question 2

What does anterior vs posterior mean?

Answer 2

• anterior is near or towards the front
• posterior is near or towards the back

Question 3

What does proximal mean?

Answer 3

• proximal is nearer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk
• aka nearer to the origination of a structure
  ex. the humerous is proximal to the radius

Question 4

What does distal mean?

Answer 4

• Farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk
• farther from the origination of a structure
  ex. phalanges are distal to the carpals (wrist bones)

Question 5

What does superior mean? (2)

Answer 5

• towards the head
• aka upper part of a structure
  not used in reference to relative positions within the limbs

Question 6

What does inferior mean? (2)

Answer 6

• Away from the head
• aka the lower part of a structure
• not used in reference to relative positions within the limbs

Question 7

What does lateral mean?

Answer 7

• lateral is farther from the midline

Question 8

What does medial mean? (2)

Answer 8

• Nearer to the midline
• a midline is an imaginary longitudinal line that divides the body externally into equal right and left sides

Question 9

What does superficial vs deep mean?

Answer 9

• superficial is toward of on the surface of the body
• deep is away from the surface of the body