Which term means toward the back of the body?

Which term means toward the back of the body?

• A. Inferior
• B. Medial
• C. Superficial
• D. Dorsal (posterior)

Answer: (D)

Toward the back of the body is described by dorsal, also known as posterior. In the standard anatomical position, the front of the body is the ventral (anterior) side and the back is the dorsal (posterior) side, so a structure closer to the back is described as dorsal. The other terms describe different directions: inferior is toward the feet or below, medial is toward the midline, and superficial is toward the surface, none of which indicate back vs. front. So the term meaning toward the back is dorsal (posterior).

Toward the back of the body is described by dorsal, also known as posterior. In the standard anatomical position, the front of the body is the ventral (anterior) side and the back is the dorsal (posterior) side, so a structure closer to the back is described as dorsal. The other terms describe different directions: inferior is toward the feet or below, medial is toward the midline, and superficial is toward the surface, none of which indicate back vs. front. So the term meaning toward the back is dorsal (posterior).