In anatomical terms, the arms are described as relative to the body?

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

Answer: (B)

Understanding directional terms: lateral means away from the body's midline and toward the outer sides. The arms extend to the sides of the torso, so they are described as lateral relative to the body’s midline. Medial would be toward the midline, which would place structures closer to the center. Proximal describes closeness to where a limb attaches to the trunk, not side-to-side location. Superior means higher toward the head. So lateral is the correct way to describe the arms’ position.