directional terms

lateral

away from the midline Ex: nostrils are lateral to the tip of your nose

inferior

below something else ex: chin is inferior to your mouth

superficial

closer to the surface than is a deep structure ex: your skin is superficial to any of your bones

cranial/cephalic

describes the position of a structure relative to the head and tail ex: your neck is cranial to your belly button

deep

farther from the surface than is a superficial structure ex: your knee cap is deep to you skin

posterior

front to back ex: tongue is posterior to teeth

anterior

front to back ex: chest is anterior to spine

distal

further away from the attachment site ex: finger nails are distal to your knuckles ex: rectum is distal to your stomach

proximal

is closer to the attachment site or point of origin ex: elbow is proximal to your wrist ex: stomach is proximal to your intestines

dorsal

located toward the back bone behind another ex: heart is dorsal to the breast bone

ventral

located toward the belly surface front of another ex: naval is ventral to the intestines

medial

refer to midline of the body ex: your navel is medial to your hips

superior

toward the head ex: forehead is superior to your nose

cuadal

toward the tail or rear ex: your shoulders are caudal to your head