Directional Terms for the Human Body

The heart is _______ to the shoulder. a. Medial b. Lateral c. Distal d. Proximal

The answer is a, medial. Medial means toward the midline (or middle) of the body. The heart is closer to the midline of the body in comparison to the shoulder.

The wrist is distal to the elbow. a. True b. False

The answer is a, true. Distal means farther away from the point of insertion to a body's structure. Remember: when you hold a pistol, it's distal to the upper arm.

The elbow is _________between the wrist and shoulder. a. Medial b. Intermediate c. Distal d. Lateral

The answer is b, intermediate. Intermediate means that something is between two structures.

What's another name for anterior: a. Dorsal b. Ventral c. Cranial d. Caudal

The answer is b, ventral. Dorsal is another word for posterior.

The radius (forearm bone) is ________ to the humerus (upper arm bone). a. Intermediate b. Proximal c. Distal d. Anterior

The answer is c, distal. The forearm is further away from the point of insertion (shoulder) than the upper arm bone (humerus).

The skin is _________ to the skeletal bones. a. Superior b. Proximal c. Superficial d. Inferior

The answer is c, superficial. Remember, superficial means on or toward the body's surface. Deep means away from the body's surface. Although proximal means "near," that term is referring to an attachment point or origin of a structure such as the limbs.

What's another word for "superior?" a. Internal b. Caudal c. External d. Cranial

The answer is d, cranial. Remember, the "head" of a company will be the superior authority to his or her employees. Caudal is another word for inferior.

Which statement is false regarding the anatomical position? a. The palms face the front. b. The thumbs point away from the body. c. The head is turned to the left side. d. The posture is standing erect.

Answer c is the false statement. The head is looking forward in the anatomical position, not to the side.

Provide the correct directional term for the following statement: When a boy is standing on his head, his nose is _________to his mouth.

Body parts always have the same relationship to each other. Thus, the nose is always referred to as being superior to the mouth.

The word anterior means: a. At or toward the front of the body b. Away from the insertion point of a structure. c. At the back or rear of the body. d. Toward the middle of the body.

The answer is a, toward the front of the body. Remember: Abs (abdominal muscles) are on the anterior side of the body.

What is the term for the backside in the anatomical position: a. Anterior b. Ventral c. Caudal d. Posterior

The answer is d, posterior. Posterior is another word for a person's backside. The prefix "post" means behind. The anterior is the front (or towards the front) of a person's body

The nose is superior to the navel. a. True b. False

The correct answer is a, true. The nose is superior (above) to the navel.