Which term is the opposite of proximal and means distant, or far away from the point of reference?

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

Answer: (B)

Distance along a limb from the trunk is described using proximal and distal. Proximal means closer to the body’s center or point of attachment, while distal means farther away from that reference point. So the term that means distant from the reference point is distal, i.e., far away. For contrast, anterior refers to the front of the body, and medial refers to being closer to the midline, neither of which necessarily indicate how far something is from the trunk. For examples, the wrist is distal to the elbow, and the shoulder is proximal to the elbow.