ventral
A term used to refer to the belly or lower surface. If an object is ventral to another object in the body, it has a position more toward the belly surface of the object of reference. When describing the position of a structure in the central nervous system, the term ventral indicates a different direction for the brain and the spinal cord. The ventral direction is towards the front for the brainstem and spinal cord, but towards the base of the head for the forebrain. It is the opposite of dorsal.
