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.

　　解剖学是一门描述性科学，因此，医学教.育网搜集必须使用含意清晰、毫不含糊的术语来描述结构之间、结构与整体之间的解剖位置关系。

　　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（腹侧，前面） 靠近身体正面为前。通常将手的前面称为掌面或手掌，脚的下面称为跖面或足底。腹侧与前面意义相等。

　　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（背侧，后面）医.学教.育网搜.集整理 靠近身体背部为后，背侧与后面可互为换用。通常将手的背面称为手背，背侧这一术语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（头侧，颅侧，上方） 指向头或身体上部的方位。颅侧和头为可互换使用的形容词，意为向脑或头颅的一侧。在描述脑时，嘴侧常常是前的同义词。

　　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（尾侧、下方） 指向脚或身体下部、离头较远的方位。尾侧意指靠近尾部，常用在胚胎的描述中。

　　Medial Toward the median plane of the body.内侧 靠近身体正中面。

　　Lateral Farther away from the medium plane of the body.外侧 远离身体正中面。

　　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，桡骨是前臂外侧的骨，尺骨位于内，因而桡侧意为外侧，尺侧意为内侧。

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

　　中间 两个结构之间，即内侧和外侧之间。