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Anatomical Terms of Location |
All anatomical terms refer to the
position of the body when it is in anatomical position. It is
important to keep this in mind to ensure consistency of description.
Anatomical position: Standing, feet together, arms to the
side, palms facing forward, head and eyes facing forward. |
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Anterior: In front of
Example: The liver is anterior to the kidneys. |
Posterior: In back of
Example: The kidneys are posterior to the liver. |
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Dorsal: Pertaining to the back.
Example: The knuckles are located dorsally on the hand. |
Ventral: Pertaining to the front.
Example: The palm is located ventrally on the hand. |
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Lateral: Away from the midline of the
body.
Example: The arms are lateral to the trunk. |
Medial: Toward the midline of the
body
Example: The trunk is medial to the arms. |
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Proximal: Near to the point of origin
or attachment.
Example: Of the elbow and wrist, the elbow is the more proximal
to the shoulder. |
Distal: Away from the point of origin
or attachment.
Example: Of the elbow and wrist, the wrist is the more distal to
the shoulder. |
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Superior: Above
Example: The eyes are superior to the mouth. |
Inferior: Below
Example: The mouth is inferior to the eyes. |
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Ipsilateral: On the same side.
Example: The right arm is ipsilateral to the right leg. |
Contralateral: On the opposite side.
Example: The left arm is contralateral to the right leg. |
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Superficial: Close to the surface, or
in relation to something.
Example: The skin is superficial to muscle. |
Deep: Not close to the surface, or in
relation to something.
Example: The muscle is superficial to the skin. |
