Because anatomy is a descriptive science， clearly defined and unambiguous terms must be used to indicate the positions of structures to each other and to the body as a whole in the anatomical position.

　　解剖學是一門描述性科學，因此，醫(yī)學教.育網搜集必須使用含意清晰、毫不含糊的術語來描述結構之間、結構與整體之間的解剖位置關系。

　　Anterior （Ventral， Front） Nearer to the front of the body is anterior. Usually the anterior surface of the hand is called the volar or palmar surface and the inferior surface of the foot is called the plantar surface or sole. Ventral is equivalent to anterior.

　　前（腹側，前面） 靠近身體正面為前。通常將手的前面稱為掌面或手掌，腳的下面稱為跖面或足底。腹側與前面意義相等。

　　Posterior （Dorsal， Behind） Nearer to the back of the body is posterior. Dorsal is interchangeable with posterior. Usually the posterior or dorsal surface of the hand is called dorsum. The term dorsum is also used to describe the anterosuperior surface of the foot.

　　后（背側，后面）醫(yī).學教.育網搜.集整理 靠近身體背部為后，背側與后面可互為換用。通常將手的背面稱為手背，背側這一術語亦用于描述足的前上面。

　　Superior （Cephalic， Cranial， Above） Toward the head or upper part of the body. Cranial and cephalic are interchangeable adjectives which mean proceeding toward the brain and cranium. Rostral is often used synonymously with anterior in descriptions of the brain.

　　上（頭側，顱側，上方） 指向頭或身體上部的方位。顱側和頭為可互換使用的形容詞，意為向腦或頭顱的一側。在描述腦時，嘴側常常是前的同義詞。

　　Inferior （Caudal， Below） Toward the feet or lower part of the body and further from the head. The term caudal means nearer to the tail and is used in description of embryos.

　　下（尾側、下方） 指向腳或身體下部、離頭較遠的方位。尾側意指靠近尾部，常用在胚胎的描述中。

　　Medial Toward the median plane of the body.內側 靠近身體正中面。

　　Lateral Farther away from the medium plane of the body.外側 遠離身體正中面。

　　In the upper limb， the radius is the lateral bone of the forearm and the ulna is the medial one. Thus， the term radial is referred to the lateral and the ulnar is referred to the medial.

　　就上肢而言，橈骨是前臂外側的骨，尺骨位于內，因而橈側意為外側，尺側意為內側。

　　Intermediate Between two structures， one of which is medial and the other lateral.

　　中間 兩個結構之間，即內側和外側之間。