Inferior

Inferior

Definition

Inferior (or caudal) means towards the bottom or away from the head-end of the body.

Both inferior (towards the bottom) and superior (to the top) describe location of structures along the vertical axis of the body. For example, the feet are inferiorly situated as compared to the hands, which are superiorly situated.

References

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.

  • 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>