The wrist is proximal to the hand, as the wrist is closer to the trunk than the hand. Match. When we use these terms properly, there are two big benefits to using directional terms. Lets start with some basic examples of medial and lateral. . Some Rights Reserved. The proximal forearm is closer to the elbow. The elbow is _________between the wrist and shoulder. In the anatomical position, the subject: A. The thumb is on the ________ side of the of the hand. This website provides entertainment value only, not medical advice or nursing protocols. Why aren't these splotches seen on a dry street? If we look at the horse, the ventral (belly) side of the horse is its underside, where as the anterior (front) side of the horse is where its head is. To increase precision, anatomists standardize the way in which they view the body. For proximal, you can think of the word proximity which means near or close. Readers have the ease to analyze the anatomical position of the body parts with these directional terms. that he gave me a compliment. just capture the problem properly so that it will read the problem, also easy to use since you can take pictures, type the problem or say it. The above anatomical terminology can be used clinically or when looking at different anatomy body planes and sections. Anatomical Directional Terms: Labeled diagram showing ipsilateral, defined as on the same side of the body. The EZmed platform is meant to provide information for free medical education and should not serve as clinical advice for patients or providers. Taken directly from the spec so it should be all that you need =) Good luck, anatomical position, directional terms and body planes. (NOTE: When you hit submit, it will refresh this same page. Anatomical Directional Terms: Example labeled diagram of medial, lateral, superior, and inferior using the right lung. Consider your upper arm for a moment. This page titled 1.3: Directional Terms is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Rosanna Hartline. You might recall in the previous lecture on body planes that the transverse plane runs horizontally, and it divides the body into upper and lower sections. . Descriptions of directional terms include: a) superior (head) and inferior (caudal), b) anterior and posterior, c) lateral and medial, d) deep and superficial, e) proximal and distal, and f) dorsal and ventral. superior. Anatomy Directional Terms. 7 Inversion and Eversion. Test your knowledge on the structures of the shoulder region, Dorsal and Ventral! Its much more helpful to use the terms we are going to learn than it is to use common terms like up, down left and right. We also said proximal and distal can be applied to structures. Terms in this set (23) Ventral Toward the bottom, towards the belly Anterior Anatomical Directional Terms: Labeled diagram showing medial, defined as toward the midline or middle of the body. Although proximal means near, that term is referring to an attachment point or origin of a structure such as the limbs. The teacher was so amused by my excuse for not handing in my paper Lets say the woman had 2 freckles on her face as shown on the image. Away from the origin or trunk answer choices Deep Distal Proximal Posterior The same example can be applied to the legs. The ribs are superficial to the lungs, as the ribs are closer to the surface of the body compared to the lungs. Created by. Created. Anatomical Directional Terms: A midsagittal plane through the midline of the body will be used as our reference point for medial and lateral. This is particularly useful when studying anatomy as it provides a common method of communication that helps to avoid confusion when identifying structures. If we go back to our original image, we can see the head is superior to the torso and the torso is inferior to the head. Identify each italicized word or phrase. Therefore, anterior is defined as the front or toward the front of the body. Demonstrate the class with a driver program. Regina Bailey is a board-certified registered nurse, science writer and educator. Think of distal and distant to help you remember distal is away from the trunk or point of origin/attachment. Directional Terms Quiz Anatomy This directional terms quiz will test your knowledge on the directional terms in human anatomy, as well as the anatomical position. Ipsilateral is defined as on the same side of the body. The answer is b, ventral. below or lower down - toward the tail bone from higher up. We know from above that lateral means side or to the side, so ipsilateral literally translates to same side. We learned in the medical prefix lecture that bi- means two or double, which will help you remember bilateral involves both sides of the body. Like the directions, North, South, East and West, they can be used to describe the locations of structures in relation to other structures or locations in the body. It's important to know these directional terms, as they will provide you with a standard reference for anatomical structures. Anatomical Position To increase precision, anatomists standardize the way in which they view the body. For example, the prefix (para-) means near or within. Body is standing straight, facing forward, upper limbs at side and palms facing forward. If we were to referring to a location on your upper arm as superior, do you think that would mean closer to the armpit, or closer to the elbow? For distal, you can think of the word distant which means far away from. by. Why is that? Lets look at the right lung as an example. Our bodies are designed in a specific way, and our organs and body parts generally point in a given direction. By submitting you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy below. Body planes are used to describe specific sections or regions of the body. Like you use the cardinal directions to explain the location of certain regions (north, northwest, southeast, etc. This quiz is incomplete! 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