dorsiventral
9.5
A thing that has different top and bottom sides, often in leaves or animals
- adjective
- /ˌdɔrsɪˈvɛntrəl/
- Specialized
:
dorsiventral
- The dorsiventral nature of the leaf allows it to capture sunlight more effectively on its upper surface.
Examples
-
The dorsiventral leaves of the plant help it adapt to varying light conditions in its environment.
-
Others have foliose, dorsiventral forms, with a discrete lower surface attached to the substratum at specific points, reminiscent of a plant leaf or a thallose bryophyte (Figure 6).
Academic text (2001) -
In animals, a dorsiventral body structure helps separate the upper parts from the lower parts.
Synonyms
1
9.9
Going from the back to the belly of an animal
has different upper and lower surfaces rather than indicating direction
Surface Forms
dorsiventral positive
Morphology
Etymology
The word dorsiventral comes from two parts that mean 'back' and 'belly': dorsi- 'back' and ventral 'belly'. So a dorsiventral leaf or animal has different upper and lower sides, like a fish where the dorsal is the 'back' and the ventral is the 'belly'.