Directional Terms
This directional term means toward or near the front surface of the body.
What is anterior (or ventral)?
Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body.
What is abduction?
The combining form anter/o means this.
What is front or near the front?
The abbreviation RUQ stands for this abdominal quadrant.
What is Right Upper Quadrant?
The imaginary plane that divides the body into equal right and left halves.
What is the sagittal plane (or midline)?
This directional term means away from the midline or toward the side of the body.
What is lateral?
Bending movement that decreases the angle between two bones at a joint.
What is flexion?
The combining form medi/o means this.
What is middle or nearer to the middle?
The abbreviation AP stands for this direction or X-ray view.
What is anteroposterior?
The plane that divides the body into upper and lower portions.
What is the transverse plane?
This term describes a location further from the trunk or axial body point of attachment.
What is distal?
Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces upward or anteriorly.
What is supination?
The combining form proxim/o means this.
What is near or nearest to the axial body?
The abbreviations UE and LE stand for these two body regions.
What are Upper Extremity (arm) and Lower Extremity (leg)?
The ventral cavity containing the lungs, heart, esophagus, and trachea.
What is the thoracic cavity?
This term means toward or nearer to the head; cranial.
What is superior?
Movement of the foot causing the bottom of the foot to face inward toward the midline.
What is inversion?
The combining form infer/o means this direction.
What is lower, below, or caudal?
The shorthand abbreviations abd and add stand for these opposing movements.
What are abduction and adduction?
The dorsal cavity that houses the brain.
What is the cranial cavity?
Lying horizontally with the face and palms facing downward.
What is prone?
Wrist movement toward the thumb side of the hand.
What is radial deviation?
The combining forms dors/o and poster/o both mean this.
What is back or posterior?
The abbreviations LLQ and RLQ represent these two anatomical areas.
What are Left Lower Quadrant and Right Lower Quadrant?
The space at the back of the abdomen located lateral to the spinal column.
What is the retroperitoneal space?