Which term describes movement away from the midline?

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

Answer: (B)

Movement away from the midline is abduction. The midline is the imaginary line that splits the body down the center, and when a limb moves outward away from that line—like lifting the arms straight out to the sides or spreading the fingers apart—you’re performing abduction. The other terms describe different movements: adduction brings a limb toward the midline; flexion bends a joint to decrease the angle between bones; rotation turns a body part around its own axis. So describing movement away from the midline aligns with abduction.