Which term means moving away from the midline?

• A. Abduction
• B. Adduction
• C. Flexion
• D. Extension

Answer: (A)

Moving away from the body's midline is called abduction. This describes actions like lifting a limb out to the side away from the trunk or spreading the fingers away from each other. In contrast, adduction brings a limb back toward the midline. Flexion and extension relate to joint angles—flexion bends a joint, reducing the angle (like bending the elbow), while extension straightens a joint, increasing the angle. So the term for moving away from the midline is abduction.