Editing Anatomical terms of location (section)

===Proximal and distal===
{{Redirect2|Proximal|distal|the linguistic terms|Demonstrative#Distal and proximal demonstratives|the dental terms|Glossary of dentistry}}
[[File:Blausen 0019 AnatomicalDirectionalReferences.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Anatomical directional reference]]
{{wiktionary | proximal | distal}}

The terms '''proximal''' ({{ety|la|proximus|nearest}}) and '''distal''' ({{ety|la|distare|to stand away from}}) are used to describe parts of a feature that are close to or distant from the main mass of the body, respectively.<ref name="Seer2025">{{cite web |title=Anatomical Terminology {{!}} SEER Training |url=https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/body/terminology.html |website=training.seer.cancer.gov |access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref> Thus the upper arm in humans is proximal and the hand is distal. The main mass is taken as the center, the [[chest]], or the [[heart]].<ref name="meaning"/>

"Proximal and distal" are frequently used when describing [[appendage]]s, such as [[fins]], [[tentacle]]s, and [[Limb (anatomy)|limbs]]. Although the direction indicated by "proximal" and "distal" is always respectively towards or away from the point of attachment, a given structure can be either proximal or distal in relation to another point of reference. Thus the elbow is distal to a wound on the upper arm, but proximal to a wound on the lower arm.<ref name="meaning">{{cite web |title=What do distal and proximal mean? |website=The Survival Doctor |url= http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2011/10/04/what-do-distal-and-proximal-mean/ |access-date= 2016-01-07|date=2011-10-05 }}</ref>

This terminology is also employed in molecular biology and therefore by extension is also used in chemistry, specifically referring to the atomic loci of molecules from the overall [[Moiety (chemistry)|moiety]] of a given compound.<ref>{{cite journal|last1= Singh|first1= S |title=Chemistry, design, and structure-activity relationship of cocaine antagonists |journal=Chemical Reviews|date=8 March 2000|volume=100|issue=3|pages=925–1024|pmid= 11749256 |doi= 10.1021/cr9700538}}
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{{Anchor|caudal|cranial|rostral}}