Directional terms

Anterior (ventral)

Front (Example: The nose is anterior to the ears.)

Posterior (dorsal)

Back (Example: The heel is on the posterior aspect of the foot.)

Lateral

Farther from midline (Example: The elbow is lateral to the navel.)

Medial

Closer to midline (Example: The breastbone is medial to the armpit.)

Superior (cephalic)

Above; closer to head (Example: The skull is superior to the navel.)

Inferior (caudal)

Below; closer to feet (Example: The mouth is inferior to the eyes.)

Proximal

Closer to attachment point (Example: The elbow is proximal to the wrist.)

Distal

Farther from attachment point (Example: The elbow is distal to the shoulder.)

Superficial

Closer to the surface (Example: Skin is superficial to skeletal muscles.)

Deep

Farther from the surface (Example: Bones are deep to skeletal muscles.)

Contralateral

On the opposite side of the median (Example: The left wrist is contralateral to the right wrist.)

Ipsilateral

On the same side of the median (Example: The right hip is ipsilateral to the right eye.)

Frontal (coronal) plane

Plane dividing body into front and back portions

Midsagittal plane

Plane dividing body down the midline into equal right and left halves

Transverse (horizontal) plane

Plane dividing body horizontally into upper and lower portions