Term
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Term
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Language of Anatomy
Oriental/Directional Terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Superior | toward the head end or upper part of the body ex. forehead is superior to the nose |
Inferior | away from the head end or toward the lower part of the body ex. navel bone is inferior to the breastbone |
Anterior | toward the front of the body ex. the breastbone is anterior to the spine |
Posterior | toward of at the backside of the body ex. the heart is posterior to the breastbone |
Medial | toward or at the mid line of the body ex. the heart is medial to the arm |
Lateral | away from the mid line of the body ex. the arms are lateral to the chest |
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 that the elbow is closer to the shoulder than the wrist) |
Intermediate | between a more medial and a more lateral structure ex. the collarbone is intermediate between the breastbone and the shoulder |
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 |
Superficial | toward or at the body surface ex. the skin is superficial to the skeleton |
Deep | away from the body surface; more internal ex. the lungs are deep to the rib cage |