The knee is ________ to the thigh.

The term that accurately describes the relationship between the knee and the thigh is "distal." In anatomical terminology, "distal" refers to a position that is farther away from the point of attachment of a limb to the body or from the center of the body. The knee is located further down the leg compared to the thigh, which is closer to the hip joint. Therefore, the knee is considered distal to the thigh.

Understanding anatomical directional terms is essential for accurately describing locations and relationships of body parts relative to each other. In this case, recognizing that the knee is positioned below the thigh assists in visualizing the structural arrangement of the leg.