Ventral

Ventralis

Definition

Ventral (or anterior) means towards the front.

Both ventral (or anterior) and dorsal (or posterior) are directional terms which describe the location of the body parts to the front or to the back. For instance, sternum is located ventrally, while the vertebral column is a dorsally situated structure.

References

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.

  • Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 1: The Body’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp. 6.

  • SEER Training Modules, Intro to the Human Body, Anatomical Terminology. U. S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. February 2nd, 2023 < https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/body/terminology.html>