The Anterior and Posterior Surfaces in Anatomy

The anterior is the side that the apex is pointing to. The posterior surface lies opposite to the apex.

a) True

b) False

Final answer:

The given statement is false which means option B is correct. It is so because the terms anterior and posterior are not interchangeable based on the direction of the apex of an organ. The apex may point anteriorly, but the posterior is still the rear or back side of the body.

Explanation:

The statement 'The anterior is the side that the apex is pointing to. The posterior surface lies opposite to the apex' is false. Hence, among the given options the correct one is Option B. In anatomical terms, anterior (or ventral) describes the front or direction toward the front of the body, and posterior (or dorsal) describes the back or direction toward the back of the body. The apex of an organ such as the heart is indeed pointing towards the anterior side of the body; however, the two terms are not interchangeable. The posterior surface is indeed opposite of the anterior, but not necessarily where the apex points as in the case of the heart where the apex points downward, forward, and to the left rather than directly to the anterior side.