ANATOMY TERMS

The head is _____ to the neck

Superior

The stomach is _____ to the heart

Inferior

The nose is _____ to the eyes

Medial

The ears are _____ to the nose

Lateral

The right arm is _____ to the right leg

Ipsilateral

The right arm is _____ to the left arm

Contralateral

The elbow is _____ to the wrist

Proximal

The fingers are _____ to the elbow

Distal

The knee is _____ to the ankle

Proximal

The ankle is _____ to the knee

Distal

The sternum is _____ to the heart

Anterior

The spine is _____ to the sternum

Posterior

The skin is _____ to the muscles

Superficial

The muscles are _____ to the skin

Deep

Superior

above

inferior

below

medial

towards the middle of the body

lateral

away from the middle of the body

contralateral

on the opposite side of the body

Ipsilateral

on the same side of the body

proximal

closer to attachment point

main attachment points

shoulders + hips

distal

further from attachment point

Anterior

front

posterior

back

ventral

front

dorsal

back

superficial

closer to surface of the body

deep

farther inside the body

sagittal/parasagittal

divides the body into uneven left and right sections

coronal (frontal)

divides the body into front and back sections

Transverse

divides the body into upper and lower sections

bilateral

paired structures; on both sides

Cross section

a cut across the structure

Oblique section

an angular cut

longitudinal

a lengthwise cut