Term | Definition |
Superior | vertical position of a structure. Above something else. |
Inferior | below something else.vertical |
Anterior | Front-to-back, toward the front |
Posterior | Front-to-back, toward the back |
Medial | Midline of the body. Toward the midline of body |
Lateral | Midline of the body. Away from midline of body |
Proximal | Something attaches to body. |
Distal | Something attaches to body. Further away from attachment point |
Cranial | Relative to the head and tail, usually four-legged animals. toward the head |
caudal | relative to the head and tail, usually four-legged animals. toward the rear. |
Ventral | assumes an organism is walking on all fours, refers to lower structure. ex. underside of dog |
Dorsal | assumes an organism is walking on all fours, refers to upper structure. ex. dorsal fin on a shark or top of foot is dorsal to bottom of feet. |
External | outer. ex. cranial vault covering brain |
internal | inside. |
endocranial | inner surface of cranial vault |
ectocranial | outer surface of cranial vault |
superficial | close to surgace |
deep | far from surface |
subcutaneous | below the skin |
crest | prominent, usually sharp and thin ridge of bone: often formed between adjacent muscle masses |
ridge | linear bony elevation, often roughened. |
line | raised linear surface, not as thick as a torus or as sharp as a crest |
Hamulus | hook-shaped projection |
Facet | small articular surface |
process bony pro | |