ventral

[ ven-truhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the venter or belly; abdominal.
2. Anatomy, Zoology. situated on or toward the lower, abdominal plane of the body; equivalent to the front, or anterior, in humans. Compare dorsal ¹( def 2 ).
3. Botany, Mycology. of or designating the lower or inner surface of a structure.

ventral

/ ˈvɛntrəl /

adjective

1. relating to the front part of the body; towards the belly Compare dorsal
2. of, relating to, or situated on the upper or inner side of a plant organ, esp a leaf, that is facing the axis

ventral

/ vĕn′trəl /

1. Relating to or on the front or lower surface of an animal.

Derived Forms

• ˈventrally, adverb

Other Words From

• ventral·ly adverb
• inter·ventral adjective
• post·ventral adjective
• pre·ventral adjective
• sub·ventral adjective
• sub·ventral·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ventral¹

1730–40; < Latin ventrālis, equivalent to vent ( e ) r venter + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ventral¹

C18: from Latin ventrālis, from venter abdomen

Example Sentences

The proliferation was isolated to a brain region known as the ventral tegmental area, which is involved in reward learning and addiction.

From Science Daily

When researchers repeated the drug injections or brain stimulation for several days, then examined the mice a month later, they indeed found more oligodendrocytes and more myelinated dopamine-producing cells, with thicker myelin around their axons, again only in the ventral tegmental area.

From Science Daily

Five years later, Du is now an undergraduate at Duke University, and the method she helped develop has been used to predict neurotransmitters in connectomes of the fruit fly hemibrain, ventral nerve cord, and optic lobe created by Janelia researchers and collaborators, as well as the adult fly brain connectome created by FlyWire.

From Science Daily

Dr. Edlow explains, "Our connectivity results suggest that stimulation of the ventral tegmental area's dopaminergic pathways has the potential to help patients recover from coma because this hub node is connected to many regions of the brain that are critical to consciousness."

From Science Daily

The researchers also found a neuronal abnormality in the developing brains of these offspring, specifically in the ventral hippocampus, a region that has been linked to anxiety and anxious behavior.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• intestinal
• visceral