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Directional Terms[1]

Directional terms describe the location of body structures related to each other based on the body in standard anatomical position. See Figure 1.6[2] for an illustration of directional terms.

 

Illustration showing Directional Terms Applied to the Human Body
Figure 1.6 Directional Terms Applied to the Human Body

Table 1.5 describes pairs of common directional terms used for the human body.

Table 1.5 Common Directional Terms in the Human Body

Anterior: Towards the front, or in front of another structure

  • Example: The kneecap is on the anterior side of the leg.
 Posterior: Towards the back, or behind another structure

  • Example: The shoulder blades are on the posterior side of the chest.
Ventral: Toward the belly side of the body

  • Example: The stomach is ventral to the spinal cord.
 Dorsal: Toward the back side of the body

  • Example: The shoulder blades are located on the dorsal side of the body.
Lateral: Toward the side of the body

  • Example: The arm is lateral to the torso.
 Medial: Toward the midline of the body

  • Example: The big toe is medial to the little toe.
Distal: Farther away from the point of origin or attachment to the body

  • Example: The hand is distal to the elbow.
 Proximal: Closer to the point of origin or attachment to the body

  • Example: The hip is proximal to the knee.
Inferior: Below or lower than another part of the body

  • Example: The mouth is inferior to the nose.
 Superior: Above or higher than another part of the body

  • Example: The head is superior to the neck.
Caudal: Near the tailbone or lowest part of the spinal column

  • Example: The feet are caudal to the head.
 Cranial or cephalic: Towards the head

  • Example: The brain is cranial to the spinal cord.
Superficial: Closer to the surface of the body

  • Example: The skin is superficial to the bones.
 Deep: Farther from the surface of the body

  • Example: The brain is deep to the skull.
Ipsilateral: On the same side as another structure

  • Example: The left arm and left leg are ipsilateral to each other.
 Contralateral: On the opposite side as another structure

  • Example: The left arm and right arm are contralateral to each other.

Complete a supplementary Wisc-Online learning activity on directional terms: Anatomical Terminology: Relative Position

  1. This chapter is a derivative of Betts, J. G., Desaix, P., Johnson, E., Johnson, J. E., Korol, O., Kruse, D., Poe, B., Wise, J., Womble, M. D., & Young, K. A. (2022). Anatomy and physiology. OpenStax/Rice University. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-introduction ↵
  2. “a59726df05f699677bf493d90ffce58114fb8966” by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-6-anatomical-terminology ↵
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