abduct vs. adduct

abduct vs. adduct: What's the difference?

In the context of physiology, the verbs abduct and adduct are used to indicate which direction a muscle moves a body part in relation to other body parts. Abduct means to draw a body part away from the midline of the body or away from an adjacent part or limb. Adduct means to draw a body part inward toward the median axis of the body or toward an adjacent part or limb. The prefix ab- means “away from,” while ad- means “toward.”