Anatomic Directional Terms
Distal
Furthest from point of attachment to trunk (the wrist is distal to the elbow)
Dorsal
At the back side of the human body (spinal cord is on the dorsal side of the body)
Ventral
At the belly side of the human body (the umbilicus is on the ventral side of the body)
Cranial
At the head end (the head is cranial to the trunk)
Caudal
At the rear or tail end (the abdomen is caudal to the head)
Lateral
Away from the midline of the body (the arms are lateral to the heart)
Inferior
Closer to the feet (the stomach is interior to the heart)
Posterior
In back of; toward the back surface (the heart is posterior to the sternum)
Anterior
In front of; toward the front surface (the stomach is anaterior to the spinal cord)
Deep
On the inside; underneath another structure (muscles are deep to the skin)
Medial
Toward the midline of the body (the lungs are medial to the shoulders)
Superior
Closer to the head (the chest is superior to the pelvis)
Proximal
Closest to point of attachment to trunk (the elbow is proximal to the hand)
Superficial
On the outside (the external edge of the kidney is superficial to its internal structure)