Which term describes a location away from the center of the body?

• A. Proximal
• B. Distal
• C. Superior
• D. Inferior

Answer: (B)

In anatomical language, terms describing location compare a point to the body's center or point of attachment. Distal means farther from the trunk or point of origin. Proximal means closer to the trunk. Superior and inferior describe vertical position (toward the head or toward the feet), not distance from the center.

So for a limb, the hand is distal to the elbow because it is farther from where the arm attaches to the body, while the shoulder is proximal to the hand. Distal is the word that captures “away from the center.”