Medical Assistant Prep / Unit 2 MAS 032 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Directional Terms in Pairs
The idea
Directional terms describe where one structure lies compared with another, and they come in opposite pairs.
In practice
Pair one: superior, also called cranial, means toward the head, and inferior, also called caudal, means away from it, so the chest is superior to the abdomen. Pair two: anterior, or ventral, means toward the front, and posterior, or dorsal, means toward the back, so the kneecap is anterior and the shoulder blades are posterior. Pair three: medial means toward the body's midline, and lateral means away from it, so the nose is medial to the eyes. Pair four: proximal means nearer the trunk or a part's point of origin, and distal means farther from it, so the hand lies at the distal end of the forearm and the elbow lies proximal to the wrist.
Where people slip
These terms always describe the body in its own frame, as if the patient were facing you. The patient's left is on your right when you face them, so "left lateral" always means the patient's left.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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