Which term describes distance from the midline, i.e., away from the midline?

• A. Medial
• B. Distal
• C. Lateral
• D. Proximal

Answer: (C)

Think of the body's midline as an imaginary vertical line that divides you into left and right halves. Terms that describe location relative to that line help you describe where something sits. Away from the midline is lateral. So the best term for a position farther from the center is lateral. Medial means toward the midline, opposite of lateral. Proximal and distal describe distance along a limb from the trunk (proximal is closer to the body, distal is farther away), not distance from the midline. For example, the ear is lateral to the nose because it’s farther from the midline, while the nose is near or on the midline. The thumb is distal to the shoulder along the arm, but that’s about distance along the limb, not distance from the midline.