Lateral - away from the midline of the body (example, the little toe is located at the lateral side of the foot). Medial - toward the midline of the body (example, the middle toe is located at the medial side of the foot).

Posterior or dorsal - back (example, the shoulder blades are located on the posterior side of the body).

Inferior or caudal - away from the head lower (example, the foot is part of the inferior extremity).Īnterior or ventral - front (example, the kneecap is located on the anterior side of the leg). Superior or cranial - toward the head end of the body upper (example, the hand is part of the superior extremity). Three groups of terms are introduced here:ĭirectional terms describe the positions of structures relative to other structures or locations in the body.

Knowing these terms will make it much easier for us to understand the content of the following learning units. Before we get into the following learning units, which will provide more detailed discussion of topics on different human body systems, it is necessary to learn some useful terms for describing body structure.

Another word for running around