November 2026 - Anatomical Terminology Study Guide

Core ideas to know

Learn the relationships, not a string of isolated definitions. These are the facts that let you reason through unfamiliar wording.

• Anatomical position is standing upright, facing forward, arms at the sides and palms facing forward.
• Superior/inferior compare vertical position; anterior/posterior compare front and back.
• Medial/lateral compare distance from the midline; proximal/distal compare distance from a limb’s attachment.
• A sagittal plane divides left and right, a frontal plane anterior and posterior, and a transverse plane superior and inferior.
• Superficial/deep compare distance from the body surface; the terms do not describe severity.

A reliable way to answer

Use the same short process every time so the wording of the question does not decide your method for you.

1. Mentally place the body in anatomical position before reading the relationship.
2. Identify whether the structures are compared along a vertical, front–back, midline, limb or depth axis.
3. Choose the matching pair of opposites and state the relationship in both directions.
4. For planes, name the portions produced rather than relying on the drawing’s orientation.

Distinctions that earn marks

Terms to know

Ipsilateral

On the same side of the body.

Contralateral

On opposite sides of the body.

Midsagittal

A plane dividing the body into equal left and right halves.

Key points

• All directional terms assume anatomical position.
• Proximal and distal are most useful along limbs or branching structures.
• Name a plane from the body portions it creates, not the angle of the page.