Anatomical directions
| DIRECTIONAL TERMS | DEFINITION | EXAMPLE OF USAGE |
| Left | To the left of body (not your left, the subject’s) | The stomach is to the left of the liver. |
| Right | To the right of the body or structure being studied | The right kidney is damaged. |
| Lateral | Toward the side; away from the midsagittal plane | The eyes are lateral to the nose. |
| Medial | Toward the midsagittal plane; away from the side | The eyes are medial to the ears. |
| Anterior | Toward the front of the body | The nose is on the anterior of the head. |
| Posterior | Toward the back (rear) | The heel is posterior to the head. |
| Superior | Toward the top of the body | The shoulders are superior to the hips. |
| Inferior | Toward the bottom of the body | The stomach is inferior to the heart. |
| Dorsal | Along (or toward) the vertebral surface of the body | Her scar is along the dorsal surface. |
| Ventral | Along (toward) the belly surface of the body | The navel is on the ventral surface. |
| Proximal | Toward the trunk (describes relative position in a limb or other appendage) | The joint is proximal to the toenail. |
| Distal | Away from the trunk or point of attachment | The hand is distal to the elbow. |
| Visceral | Toward an internal organ; away from the outer wall (describes positions inside a body cavity) | This organ is covered with the visceral layer of the membrane. |
| Parietal | Toward the wall; away from the internal structures | The abdominal cavity is lined with the parietal peritoneal membrane. |
| Deep | Toward the inside of a part; away from the surface | The thigh muscles are deep to the skin. |
| Superficial | Toward the surface of a part; away from the inside | The skin is a superficial organ. |
| Medullary | Refers to an inner region, or medulla | The medullary portion contains nerve tissue. |
| Cortical | Refers to an outer region, or cortex | The cortical area produces hormones. |
To make the reading of anatomical figures a little easier, an anatomical compass is used throughout this book. On many figures, you will notice a small compass rosette similar to those on geographical maps. Rather than being labeled N, S, E, and W, the anatomical rosette is labeled with abbreviated anatomical directions.
| A = Anterior | P (opposite A) = Posterior |
| D = Distal | P (opposite D) = Proximal |
| I = Inferior | S = Superior |
| L (opposite M) = Lateral | M = Medial |
| L (opposite R) = Left | R = Right |