Which anatomical term means 'toward the center of the body'?

Which anatomical term means 'toward the center of the body'?

• A. Medial
• B. Lateral
• C. Proximal
• D. Distal

Answer: (C)

Toward the midline of the body is described by the term medial. The midline is an imaginary line down the center that splits the body into left and right halves, so structures closer to this line are medial. In contrast, lateral means toward the sides away from that midline. For limbs, proximal means closer to the trunk, while distal means farther away from the trunk. For example, the nose is medial to the eyes, and the ears are lateral to the nose. The shoulder is proximal to the elbow, and the fingers are distal to the shoulder.

Toward the midline of the body is described by the term medial. The midline is an imaginary line down the center that splits the body into left and right halves, so structures closer to this line are medial. In contrast, lateral means toward the sides away from that midline. For limbs, proximal means closer to the trunk, while distal means farther away from the trunk. For example, the nose is medial to the eyes, and the ears are lateral to the nose. The shoulder is proximal to the elbow, and the fingers are distal to the shoulder.