Directional Terms Practice
anatomical position
- body position where you stand up, head straight and forward by your side with the palm of your hands facing forward - important because it provides a reference point
lateral
anatomical term that means "away from the body"
biceps are
anterior to the triceps
posterior
back or at the back of
proximal
closer to the top of the limb
distal
closer toward the bottom or end of a limb
hand is ___ to the elbow
distal
anterior
front or in front of
hips are ___ to the shoulders
inferior
knees are
inferior to the waist
anatomy
investigates the body's structure
physiology
investigates the processes or functions of living things
shoulders are ___ to to the spine
lateral
arms are
lateral to the midline
shoulders are
lateral to the midline
prone
lying face downwards
supine
lying face upwards
big toe is on the ____ side of the foot
medial
neck is
medial to the arms
Distal and proximal are
opposite directional terms
ankle is ___ to the knee
peripheral
parasagittal
plane that passes through the breast, hip, and knee on only one side of the body
shoulder blade is on the ___ side of the body
posterior
hamstring is
posterior to the quadriceps
heel is
posterior to the toes
knee is ___ to the ankle
proximal
3 major anatomical planes include
sagittal, frontal and transverse
calf muscle is
superior to the ankle
hands are
superior to the feet
elbow is
superior to the wrist
In humans, the dorsal surface can also be called
the POSTERIOR surface
In four-legged animals, the dorsal surface is
the SUPERIOR surface
When a person is standing in the anatomical position,
the ears are SUPERIOR to the shoulders and LATERAL to the nose.
When a person is standing in the anatomical position,
the elbow is PROXIMAL to the fingers but DISTAL to the shoulder.
When a person is standing in the anatomical position,
the face and palms are on the ANTERIOR body surface, the buttocks and the shoulder blades are on the POSTERIOR body surface, and the top of the head is the most SUPERIOR part of the body.
When a person is standing in the anatomical position,
the heart is ANTERIOR to the spine and MEDIAL to the lungs.
superior
toward the head or above
medial
toward the midline of the body
lateral
toward the side of the body or away from the midline
inferior
towards the feet or below
