Which term describes toward the outer side away from the midline?

Which term describes toward the outer side away from the midline?

• A. Medial
• B. Lateral
• C. Anterior
• D. Posterior

Answer: (B)

In anatomy, directional terms describe where a structure sits relative to the body's midline. The midline is the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right halves. Lateral means toward the outer side, away from that midline. This is the best fit because it specifies a sideward direction away from the center, such as ears being lateral to the eyes or the arms being lateral to the chest. Medial would mean closer to the midline, which is the opposite. Anterior and posterior describe front and back, not side-to-side, so they don’t fit the request for a sideward, outerward direction.

In anatomy, directional terms describe where a structure sits relative to the body's midline. The midline is the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right halves. Lateral means toward the outer side, away from that midline. This is the best fit because it specifies a sideward direction away from the center, such as ears being lateral to the eyes or the arms being lateral to the chest. Medial would mean closer to the midline, which is the opposite. Anterior and posterior describe front and back, not side-to-side, so they don’t fit the request for a sideward, outerward direction.