[56] However, humans stand upright on two legs, meaning their anterior/posterior and dorsal/ventral directions the same, and the inferior/superior directions necessary. These allow parties that use anatomical terms, such as anatomists, veterinarians, and medical doctors to have a standard set of terms to communicate clearly the position of a structure. Thus, the "rostrocaudal axis" refers to a C shape (see image). What are the Similarities Between Dorsal and Ventral – Outline of Common Features4. [65] Usually, the eyes are arranged in two roughly parallel, horizontal and symmetrical rows of eyes. They are particularly used to describe the curvature of the uterus.[50][51]. [24] For example, in a dog the nose is anterior to the eyes and the tail is considered the most posterior part; in many fish the gill openings are posterior to the eyes but anterior to the tail. Is there any reason behind this? posted by yclipse at 3:32 PM on March 18, 2007 Here are the directional terms that I’ll be covering: Superior (cranial) and inferior (caudal) Anterior (ventral) and Posterior (dorsal) Distal and proximal; Superficial and deep; Medial, lateral, and intermediate; The first pair of directional terms refer to the relative position toward or … Terms of Use. The anterior or ventral side is the front. Terms include: Different terms are used because of different body plans in animals, whether animals stand on one or two legs, and whether an animal is symmetrical or not, as discussed above. For example, in a fish, the pectoral fins are dorsal to the anal fin, but ventral to the dorsal fin. Dr insists that its migraine related and allergy related. Furthermore, the upper fin or the dorsal fin of dolphins or sharks is a common example to describe this term. Standard anatomical and zoological terms of location have been developed, usually based on Latin and Greek words, to enable all biological and medical scientists, veterinarians, doctors and anatomists to precisely delineate and communicate information about animal bodies and their organs, even though the meaning of some of the terms often is context-sensitive. [57] Humans do not have a beak, so a term such as "rostral" used to refer to the beak in some animals is instead used to refer to part of the brain;[58] humans do also not have a tail so a term such as "caudal" that refers to the tail end may also be used in humans and animals without tails to refer to the hind part of the body.[59]. The terms proximal (from Latin proximus 'nearest') and distal (from Latin distare 'to stand away from') are used to describe parts of a feature that are close to or distant from the main mass of the body, respectively. [8] To do this, distinct ends of an organism are chosen, and the axis is named according to those directions. Some such borrowed terms are widely applicable in most invertebrates; for example proximal, meaning "near" refers to the part of an appendage nearest to where it joins the body, and distal, meaning "standing away from" is used for the part furthest from the point of attachment. Therefore, the main difference between dorsal and ventral is the relative position to the stomach. Home » Science » Biology » Anatomy » What is the Difference Between Dorsal and Ventral. Find more ways to say dorsal, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. It's the opposite of dorsal. The first portion of the dorsal fin has also six flexible spines. [43][44][45] In humans, "cranial" and "cephalic" are used to refer to the skull, with "cranial" being used more commonly. The term "rostral" is rarely used in human anatomy, apart from embryology, and refers more to the front of the face than the superior aspect of the organism. As opposed to the ventral, or front, of the structure. Retrolateral refers to the surface of a leg that is closest to the posterior end of an arachnid's body. See also posterior. [ dor´sal] directed toward or situated on the back surface, as opposed to ventral. [6], Anatomical terms describe structures with relation to four main anatomical planes:[2]. What is the Difference Between Spinal Cord and... What is the Difference Between Prosecco Champagne and Sparkling Wine, What is the Difference Between Arrogance and Confidence, What is the Difference Between Grapeseed Oil and Olive Oil, What is the Difference Between Beeswax and Soy Wax, What is the Difference Between Spun Yarn and Filament Yarn, What is the Difference Between Foot Cream and Hand Cream. To describe how close to the head of an animal something is, three distinct terms are used: For example, in horses, the eyes are caudal to the nose and rostral to the back of the head. Some of the dorsal surfaces of the body are the back, buttocks, calves, and the knuckle side of the hand. In other cases the eggs are carried in the dorsal pouches of the females. Anatomical terms of location in a kangaroo. The main difference between dorsal and ventral is that dorsal refers to the back or upper side of an organism whereas ventral refers to the front or lower side.. For example, the mid-clavicular line is used as part of the cardiac exam in medicine to feel the apex beat of the heart. The term is used to describe general positions of body parts. For example, as humans are approximately bilaterally symmetrical organisms, anatomical descriptions usually use the same terms as those for vertebrates. The dorsal side of an organism is it's back and can also be Today, we’re going to shed light on some more common medical terms you might here in a foot and ankle surgeon’s office. On the other hand, the term ‘ventral’ has the opposite meaning to the term ‘dorsal’, referring to the anatomical structures in the front or lower side of the body. Adjective. With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located. The opposite end then becomes the posterior end. Medial (from Latin medius 'middle') describes structures close to the midline,[2] or closer to the midline than another structure. Who is the longest reigning WWE Champion of all time? Unlike vertebrates, cnidarians have no other distinctive axes. Thus, there are multiple possible radial axes and medio-peripheral (half-) axes. [49] Terms used to describe structures include "buccal" (from Latin bucca 'cheek') and "palatal" (from Latin) referring to structures close to the cheek and hard palate respectively.