Which term describes a position toward the midline?

• A. proximal
• B. medial
• C. distal
• D. lateral

Answer: (B)

Medial describes a position toward the midline, the imaginary line that runs down the center of the body dividing left from right. Structures closer to that line are medial, while those farther away are lateral. For example, the nose is medial to the eyes, and the big toe is medial to the second toe. Proximal and distal relate to closeness to the limb’s point of attachment (nearer vs farther from the body's trunk), not to the midline. Lateral means farther from the midline, toward the sides. So the term for toward the midline is medial.