Which term describes toward the midline?

Which term describes toward the midline?

• A. Lateral
• B. Medial
• C. Proximal
• D. Distal

Answer: (B)

Toward the midline means getting closer to the imaginary line that splits the body into left and right halves. The term used is medial, which describes structures that are nearer to that midline. For example, the nose sits along the midline and is medial to the eyes, while the ears are away from the midline and are lateral. Proximal and distal describe distance along a limb from the trunk—proximal is closer to the trunk, distal is farther away. Lateral means toward the side, away from the midline. So the term that best describes toward the midline is medial.

Toward the midline means getting closer to the imaginary line that splits the body into left and right halves. The term used is medial, which describes structures that are nearer to that midline. For example, the nose sits along the midline and is medial to the eyes, while the ears are away from the midline and are lateral. Proximal and distal describe distance along a limb from the trunk—proximal is closer to the trunk, distal is farther away. Lateral means toward the side, away from the midline. So the term that best describes toward the midline is medial.