Which term describes farther from the point of origin in a limb?

• A. Proximal
• B. Rostral
• C. Caudal
• D. Distal

Answer: (D)

In anatomy, limbs are described along a proximo-distal axis, running from where the limb attaches to the body outward toward the tip. Proximal means closer to that attachment point, while distal means farther from it. So, describing something as distal means it is farther from the point of origin on the limb, such as the fingers being distal to the wrist or the elbow being proximal to the wrist.

Rostral and caudal, on the other hand, refer to the head-to-tail orientation (toward the nose/head versus toward the tail). They aren’t used to describe how far a part is from where a limb attaches, so they don’t fit this context.