opisthosoma
- Pronunciation
- /oh-pis-thoh-SOH-muh/
- Category
- Anatomy
- Singular
- opisthosoma
- Plural
- opisthosomata
Definition
The posterior part of the body in arachnids, which includes structures for digestion, reproduction, and, in some species, venom glands.
Etymology
From Greek 'opistho-', meaning 'behind' or 'rear', and 'soma', meaning 'body'.
Example
In spiders, the opisthosoma contains the spinnerets used for silk production.
Synonyms
Related Terms
- prosoma
- spinnerets
- cephalothorax
- arachnids
Usage Notes
The term is particularly used to distinguish it from the prosoma, or cephalothorax, which is the anterior part of the body in arachnids.