Affixes

The historical distinction between these forms, in which dorsi‑ refers to the back, while dorso‑ alludes to the back plus another part of the body, is not now observed.

The adjective dorsal relates to the upper side or back of an animal, plant, or organ; something dorsolateral involves the dorsal and lateral surfaces; dorsiflex is a verb meaning to bend something, typically the hand or foot, dorsally or towards its upper surface. The dorsum is the dorsal part of an organism or structure. Dorsiventral (Latin venter, ventr‑, belly) is used mainly in botany for a leaf or other part of a plant that has dissimilar dorsal and ventral surfaces, while dorsoventral mainly appears in anatomy and biology to denote an axis joining the dorsal and ventral surfaces (these senses are sometimes interchanged).