In anatomical terms, what does medial refer to?

In anatomical terminology, "medial" refers to a position that is toward the midline of the body. The midline is an imaginary vertical line that divides the body into equal right and left halves. When a structure or body part is described as being medial, it means that it is closer to this midline compared to other structures.

For example, the nose is medial to the eyes because it is located closer to the midline of the face. Understanding this term is essential for accurately describing the locations of structures in relation to each other within the body, which is crucial in fields such as anatomy, physiology, and health sciences.