dorsal
In vertebrates, the surface of the animal closest to the backbone. For most vertebrates this is the upper surface, or the surface furthest from the ground. This latter criterion also allows a dorsal side to be defined in certain invertebrates, for example insects. For bipedal primates such as humans, where the dorsal surface faces backwards, then the word is ‘back’.
Not all animals can be said to have a dorsal surface, just as many animals cannot be said to have a front; for example, jellyfish, anemones, and sponges do not have a dorsal surface.
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