In a manner relating to or affecting both the back and belly, or describing the degree of difference between dorsal and ventral surfaces.
From dorsiventral + -ly (adverb-forming suffix). The -ly suffix converts the adjective into an adverb describing how something occurs or is done. Used in anatomical and biological descriptions.
When scientists say an organism is 'dorsiventrally flattened,' they mean you can see the stark contrast when you look at the top versus the bottom—like how a flounder's top is bumpy and brown while its bottom is smooth and white!
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