Caudal

Caudalis

Definition

Muhammad A. Javaid

Caudal means towards the tail or away from the head-end of the body. It is commonly used interchangeably with the term ‘inferior’, when the body is in its anatomical position.

Both caudal (away from the head-end / towards the tail) and cranial (towards the head-end) describe location of structures along the long axis of the body. For example, the legs are caudally situated compared to the arms, which are cranially (or rostrally) located.

References

  • Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 1: The Body’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp. 6.

  • SEER Training Modules, Intro to the Human Body, Anatomical Terminology. U. S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. February 2nd, 2023 < https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/body/terminology.html>