Final answer:
In anatomical position, 'lateral' refers to a position farther from the midline of the body, indicating a structure that is on the side. It is used to describe the placement of body parts in relation to the midline. For instance, the thumb is lateral to the other digits.
Step-by-step explanation:
In anatomical position and direction, the term lateral refers to something that is a. Farther from the middle of the body than another structure. This means that a lateral structure is positioned on the side of the body, away from the imaginary midline that divides the body into the left and right halves. For example, the thumb, also known as the pollex, is lateral to the other digits of the hand because it is situated on the side, further from the midline.
The term medial, on the other hand, describes the middle or direction toward the middle of the body. An example of this would be the hallux, or big toe, which is the medial toe because it's closest to the imaginary midline when the body is in the anatomical position. It's critical in the field of anatomy to be familiar with these terms to precisely describe the locations of body parts and understand how they relate to one another in terms of placement.