Which term means farther from the body and away from the point of origin?

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

Answer: (B)

In anatomy, directional terms describe how body parts relate to each other along a limb. When we talk about distance from where a limb attaches to the body, the word used for farther away is distal. Distal means farther from the trunk or the point of origin of the limb, while proximal means closer to that point. Medial and lateral describe position relative to the body's midline: medial is toward the midline, lateral is away from it, and they don’t indicate distance from the origin.

So the term that means farther from the body and away from the point of origin is distal. For example, the fingers are distal to the wrist, and the ankle is distal to the knee.