5 Directional Terms
When navigating a new town you might use cardinal directions like north, south east and west to orient yourself. Similarly, the body can be navigated using a set of terminology:
- Endo: meaning within, often underneath
- Ecto: meaning outside of something
- Exo: also means outside but commonly refers to a sense of movement
- Deep: lying closer to the center of the body or appendage
- Superficial: lying farther away from the center of an object or closer to the skin
- Superior: referring to upwards or closer to the head end of the body
- Inferior: referring away/lower from the head
- Cranial (rostral): similar to superior but used commonly with respect to the head
- Caudal: similar to inferior but commonly used within reference to the head
- Anterior: closer to the front side of the body
- Posterior: closer to the back side of the body
- Lateral: refers to the sides as opposed to the middle part of the body
- Medial: refers to the middle portion of the body
- Distal: refers to farther down a limb
- Proximal: refers to closer to the origin of a limb
- Left: leftwards with regards to the specimen’s POV
- Right: rightwards with regards to specimen’s POV
Take time to review these terms since they will be used continuously throughout your path in anatomy.
Let’s review some directional terms!