Which term describes a movement away from the midline of the body?

Which term describes a movement away from the midline of the body?

• A. Abduction
• B. Adduction
• C. Rotation
• D. Circumduction

Answer: (A)

Moving away from the midline of the body is abduction. The midline is the imaginary line that splits the body into left and right halves. Abduction describes lifting a limb or part away from that line—for example, raising the arm out to the side or spreading the fingers apart. The opposite movement, adduction, brings a limb back toward the midline, such as lowering the arm to the side or bringing the legs together. Rotating a joint means turning around its long axis rather than changing how far a part is from the midline, and circumduction involves drawing the limb in a circular path that combines several movements (flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction).

Moving away from the midline of the body is abduction. The midline is the imaginary line that splits the body into left and right halves. Abduction describes lifting a limb or part away from that line—for example, raising the arm out to the side or spreading the fingers apart. The opposite movement, adduction, brings a limb back toward the midline, such as lowering the arm to the side or bringing the legs together. Rotating a joint means turning around its long axis rather than changing how far a part is from the midline, and circumduction involves drawing the limb in a circular path that combines several movements (flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction).