Posterior is the term meaning which direction?

• A. Toward the back
• B. Toward the front
• C. Upward
• D. Left

Answer: (A)

Posterior means toward the back of the body. It designates the backside, opposite of anterior, which is toward the front. In a person standing upright and facing forward, the posterior side is where your spine sits and where your back muscles are. The other directions describe front (anterior), up (superior), or left (the left side of the body), which is why they aren’t the meaning of posterior.