Which term means close to the trunk of the body?

• A. Proximal
• B. Distal
• C. Dorsal
• D. Lateral

Answer: (A)

In anatomy, terms describe location relative to the body’s trunk. Proximal means closer to the trunk or to the point where a limb attaches to the body. For example, the shoulder is proximal to the elbow, and the thigh is proximal to the knee, since these parts are nearer to the trunk. This is exactly what the question asks—being close to the trunk.

By contrast, distal means farther from the trunk, dorsal means toward the back, and lateral means toward the side away from the midline. So proximal is the term that best fits “close to the trunk.”