When you’re talking anatomy in a scientific way, everyday words such as front, back, side, above, and below just aren’t precise enough. Instead you use the anatomic terms in the following list:
Anterior or ventral: Toward the front of the body
Posterior or dorsal: Toward the back of the body
Cranial: Head end of body
Caudal: Tail end of body
Superior: A part above another part
Inferior: A part below another part
Medial: Toward the midline (median plane) of the body
Lateral: Away from the midline of the body; toward the sides
Proximal: Toward the point of attachment to the body
Distal: Away from the point of attachment to the body
Internal: Toward the inside of the body
External: Toward the outside of the body
Parietal: A membrane that covers an internal body wall
Visceral: A membrane that covers an organ
