| A | B |
|---|
| ventral (toward the front (*humans only) or belly) | ex: the aorta is ventral to the vertebral column |
| dorsal (toward the back or spine) | ex: the vertebral column is dorsal to the aorta |
| anterior (toward the ventral side (*humans only)) | ex: the sternum is anterior to the heart |
| posterior (toward the dorsal side (*humans only)) | ex: the esophagus is posterior to the trachea |
| cepalic (toward the head or superior end) | ex: the cephalic end of the embyronic tube develops into the brain |
| rostral(toward the forehead or nose) | ex: the forebrain is rostral to the brainstem |
| caudal (toward the tail or inferior end) | ex: the spinal cord is caudal to the brain |
| superior (above) | ex: the heart is superior to the diaphragm |
| inferior (below) | ex: the liver is inferior to the diaphragm |
| medial (toward the median plane) | ex: the heart is medial to the lungs |
| lateral (away from the median plane) | ex: the eyes are lateral to the nose |
| proximal (closer to the point of attachment or origin) | ex: the elbow is proximal to the wrist |
| distal (farther from the point of attachment or origin) | ex: the fingernails are at the distal ends of the fingers |
| superficial (closer to the body surface) | ex: the skin is superficial to the muscles |
| deep (farther from the body surface) | ex: the bones are deep to the muscles |
