In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper or back side of an animal, as opposed to the ventrum. In vertebrates, it contains the backbone. In fishes, it refers to the top, front fin (see Dorsal fin). It is the anatomical opposite of ventral (referring to the front or underside of an animal). Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... The backbone is a synonym for the spine of a vertebrate organism. ... The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... A fin is a surface used to produce lift and thrust or to steer while traveling in water, air, or other fluid media. ... Dorsal Fin of the Orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ...

In lepidoptera, the dorsum also refers to the trailing edge of the wing (the leading edge is called the costa). Super Families Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Micropterigoidea Heterobathmioidea Eriocranioidea Acanthopteroctetoidea Lophocoronoidea Neopseustoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Hepialoidea Nepticuloidea Incurvarioidea Palaephatoidea Tischeriodea Simaethistoidea Tineoidea Gracillarioidea Yponomeutoidea Gelechioidea Zygaenoidea Sesioidea Cossoidea Tortricoidea Choreutoida Urodoidea Galacticoidea Schreckensteinioidea Epermenioidea Pterophoroidea Aluctoidea Immoidea Axioidea Hyblaeoidea Thyridoidea Whalleyanoidea Pyraloidea Mimallonoidea Lasiocampoidea Geometroidea Drepanoidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidae Hedyloidea Noctuoidea Families About... Costa may refer to different subjects: Costa can refer to places (see below). ...

Dorsum and dorsally are derivatives of this word and refer to anatomical structures that are either toward the back (backbone) or off the back side of an animal. The names of some structures have even had dorsal (or a form of dorsal) incorporated into them. Examples of this include the dorsal fin, dorsal root ganglion, dorsal root, dorsal nerve, dorsum sellae, dorsal arch, dorsalis pedis arteries, dorsal ramus, dorsal scales, dorsal respiratory group, dorsal venous arch, and dorsiflexion among others. Dorsal Fin of the Orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... This is a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) from a chicken embryo (around stage of day 7) after incubation overnight in NGF growth medium stained with anti-neurofilament antibody. ... penis ... In the sphenoid bone, the anterior boundary of the sella turcica is completed by two small eminences, one on either side, called the middle clinoid processes, while the posterior boundary is formed by a square-shaped plate of bone, the dorsum sellæ, ending at its superior angles in two tubercles... The dorsal repiratory group is found in many types of fish and marine mammals. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ...

The dorsal scales of the snake cover the body and both the sides. They are the most numerous scales on the body of a snake. Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae Snakes (from Old English snaca, and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European base snag- or sneg-, to crawl), also known as ophidians, are cold blooded...

See also

• Anatomical terms of location
• Snake scales