Directional Terms

Directional Terms

1. Superior (cephalic or cranial)

   • Toward the head e.g. the head is superior to the neck e.g. the knees are superior to the ankles

2. Inferior (caudal)

   • Toward the tail e.g. the pelvis is inferior to the stomach e.g. the lips are inferior to the eyes

3. Anterior (ventral)

   • Toward the front e.g. the breast is anterior to the spine e.g. the nose is anterior to the ears

4. Posterior (dorsal)

   • Toward the back e.g. the ankles are posterior to the toes e.g. the ears are posterior to the lips

5. Proximal

   • Nearest e.g. the elbow is proximal to the wrist e.g. the knees are proximal to the ankles

6. Distal

   • Distant e.g. the fingers are distal to the wrist e.g. the elbow is distal to the shoulder

7. Medial

   • Toward the mid-line of the body e.g. the nose is medial to the eyes e.g. the naval is medial to the ears

8. Lateral

   • Away from the mid-line of the body e.g. the ears are lateral to the lips e.g. the shoulder is lateral to the sternum

9. Superficial

   • Close to the surface of….. e.g. the skin is superficial to the muscle e.g. the skin is superficial to the bone

10. Deep

    • Towards the interior of…. e.g. the bone is deep to the skin e.g. the lungs are deep to the ribs