American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) Practice Exam

Which term describes a position closer to the central portion of the body?

1. Distal

2. Proximal

3. Lateral

4. Medial

The correct answer is: Proximal

The term that describes a position closer to the central portion of the body is "proximal." In anatomical terminology, proximal refers to structures that are nearer to the trunk of the body or the point of attachment, while distal denotes structures that are further away from the trunk or point of attachment. For example, in the context of the limbs, the shoulder is proximal to the elbow, meaning it is closer to the central body. Understanding these terms is crucial in fields like anatomy, medicine, and death investigation, as they provide a clear language for describing the locations and relationships of various body structures. While lateral describes a position away from the midline of the body and medial describes a position toward the midline, these terms do not focus on the concept of proximity to the center of the body in the same way that proximal does. Similarly, distal always indicates a position that is farther from the central body, further reinforcing why proximal is the correct choice for this question.