Directional

Terms
 • describe the
positions of

meaning
structures relative to
other structures or
locations in the body.
 Superior
• toward the head, or upper
part of a structure

Example:
The heart is
superior to the liver.
timeline

• away from the head, or the

lower part of a structure

Example:
The stomach is inferior
to the lungs.
Inferior
 Anterior Posterior

• derived from the Latin • derived from the Latin

word ante meaning word post meaning
"before“ "after“

• refers to what is in • refers to what is to the

front, nearer to or to v
back, nearer to or at
the front the back

Example: Example:
The sternum is The esophagus is
anterior to the heart. posterior to the trachea.
 Medial
• refers to being
Lateral
toward the
midline of the Intermediate
body or the • is the side of
median plane, the body or
• which splits the part of the • between
body, head-to- body that is two
toe, into two away from the structures
halves, the left middle
and right.

Example: Example: Example:

The middle toe is Your ears are lateral Your heart
located at the medial to your cheeks. is intermediate to
side of the foot your lungs.
 Ipsilateral Contralateral

• on the same side of • on the opposite side

the body as another of the body from
structure another structure

meaning
Proximal z Distal

• situated away • situated

Example: nearer to
from the point of
Example:
theThe proximal
center end
of the
The arm bone
attachment or is of the femur
proximal body or is part
the of
point
origin or atocentral
the the hip joint, and the
of attachment
radius. shoulder is proximal to
point especially of
the elbow.
the body
 Superficial Deep
(External) (Internal)
• describes a • describes a

meaning
position closer position farther
to the surface from the
of the body surface of the
body
Example:
Skin is superficial to Example:
the bones, skin is Brain is deep to the
superficial to the skull, bones are
muscles. deep to the muscles