PROXIMAL

proximal <proximus, Latin, the nearest

Proximal is the opposite of distal. Proximal as an anatomical position means nearest the center of the body, or at the beginning of a structure. The proximal part of the ureter is near the kidney. The distal part of the ureter is nearest the bladder.

Bones are said to articulate proximally and distally with other bones. The proximal end of the thigh bone, the femur, forms a joint with the socket of the hip bone.

The distal end of the femur articulates with the tibia and the patella (kneecap).

 

Each finger has three bones called phalanges. They are the finger bones colored a brownish-ivory in the drawing below. The proximal phalanx is the finger bone nearest the body. The distal phalanx is the fingerbone most remote from the body, at the tip of the finger. So too are the distal and proximal carpal bones of the wrist.

Distalis scientific New Latin coinage of the 19th century < dist(ant) + -al, common adjectival ending

In anatomy, distal means remote from the point of attachment, or away from the center of the body. For example, each finger and toe except for the thumb and big toe has three end bones called phalanges. The distal phalanx of a finger is the bone farthest away from the center of the body, so it's the very last, outermost bone at the tip of the finger.

 

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