Which term means pertaining to the back?

Which term means pertaining to the back?

• A. Dorsal
• B. Ventral
• C. Anterior
• D. Lateral

Answer: (A)

Directional terms describe location on the body, and the one that means pertaining to the back is dorsal. Dorsal comes from Latin dorsum, meaning back, and is used to label the back surface or the posterior aspect of structures—for example, the dorsal side of the hand is its back, and the dorsal region of the body is the back side. In contrast, ventral refers to the belly or front surface, anterior means toward the front, and lateral means toward the side away from the midline. So when describing the back itself or anything related to the back, dorsal is the correct term.

Directional terms describe location on the body, and the one that means pertaining to the back is dorsal. Dorsal comes from Latin dorsum, meaning back, and is used to label the back surface or the posterior aspect of structures—for example, the dorsal side of the hand is its back, and the dorsal region of the body is the back side. In contrast, ventral refers to the belly or front surface, anterior means toward the front, and lateral means toward the side away from the midline. So when describing the back itself or anything related to the back, dorsal is the correct term.