laterali

Laterali is an Italian term used in scientific and technical writing to designate structures or parts that lie at the side or toward the outer part of a body or organ. It is the plural form of laterale, and derives from Latin lateralis, from latus meaning side. As an adjective, laterali modifies a noun, as in "rami laterali" (lateral branches), "margine laterale" (lateral margin), or "arterie laterali" (lateral arteries). In biology and medicine, the term is common in anatomy, botany, and zoology to distinguish left-right orientation without specifying medial positions. In neuroanatomy one speaks of ventricoli laterali (lateral ventricles) in the brain and nervi laterali (lateral nerves) in various organs.

In botany, "radici laterali" refers to lateral roots, and "foglie laterali" to lateral leaves on a stem. The plural form "laterali" appears when multiple lateral structures are described. The English equivalent is "lateral" or "laterals" depending on grammatical usage. The term is frequently used in combination with other directional or anatomical terms, such as "epicondili laterali" or "lips laterali" in other contexts, though specific phrases vary by field and language.

See also: lateral, medial, anterior, posterior, superior, inferior.