Rostral

Rostralis

Definition

Rostral (or cranial) means towards the head-end of the body. It is commonly used interchangeably with the term ‘superior’, when the body is in its anatomical position.

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

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>