Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

The Elbow joint

Roll up your sleeves for this one as we explore the peculiar little joint at the elbow. Or rather the 3 joints that live there. 
New terms covered this week; Ulnar, radius & humerus. Pronation, supination, olecranon, trochlear, head of the radius & capitulum. Humeroulnar joint, humeroradial joint & the proximal radioulnar joint. 
Terms that we absolutely didn't squeeze in the end are; medial and lateral collateral ligaments. Annular ligament and the quadrate ligament. 
 

The Primary & Secondary muscles of Respiration

In this episode, we explore the muscles responsible for ventilation or breathing. Those primarily responsible for expanding the thorax and indirectly the lungs and those that can be recruited when forcefully trying to do so. What are they, where are they and how do they work? 
Terms covered in this episode; Respiration, ventilation, primary and secondary muscles of respiration. The diaphragm, intercostal muscles and Boyle's law. 
 

The Olfactory nerve & the special sense of smell (& flavour)

Once termed the forgotten sense, olfaction or the sense of smell has seen a rise in interest in recent years due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the subsequent increase in hyposmia that the virus has left behind. In today’s episode, we explore the anatomy of the special sense of smell by looking at some of the detail of cranial nerve 1, the olfactory nerve. What is? Where is it? And what happens when it breaks?
Terms covered this week; Olfaction, olfactory epithelium, olfactory sensory neurones, & olfactory filaments. The bony anatomy of the ethmoid bone & cribriform plate. Finally the clinical terms of hyposmia, anosmia & cacosmia.

The Knee

Today we discuss the anatomy of the knee, the largest joint in the human body. Let’s explore movements, function, bones involved, main ligaments and the menisci. We will also cover one of Sam’s favourite topics, articular cartilage.
Terms covered this week; The femur, tibia, fibular and patella bones. Synovial joints, fluid and capsule. The articular and hyaline cartilage and bursae. Cruciate ligaments (anterior & posterior), & collateral ligaments of the knee (medial and lateral). Condyles vs Epicondyles, tibial plateau and menisci.

The Tonsils

This week let’s take a gander at the anatomy of the tonsils, specifically those almond-shaped clumps of lymphoid tissue that act as immune cell cark parks for the upper aerodigestive tract.
Terms covered this week; Palatine, nasopharyngeal & lingual tonsils. Adenoids, Waldeyer’s ring, Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) & Peyer’s patches. Also covered are Tonsillitis & Tonsillectomy. Two words that have more letter Ls than seems necessary!   

The Anatomy of Taste

This week, let’s explore the anatomy of taste and the cranial nerves that facilitate this sensation at different parts of the tongue. We compare the special sensation of taste to general sensation and highlight where and how it differs.
Terms covered this week are; taste buds, lingual papillae, chorda tympani, lingual nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve and the trigeminal nerve. 

The spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)

With jokes, puns and anatomical controversy, the spinal accessory nerve is more than just a shoulder shrug.
Terms covered this week; spinal accessory nerve, foramen magnum, jugular foramen, sternocleidomastoid & trapezius muscles.

The Hypoglossal nerve (CNXII) & The Muscles of the Tongue

This week let’s look at the muscles of the tongue and the nerve that is responsible for providing motor innervation to (almost) all these muscles. We will explore types of muscle, functions, and the classic exam question of 'what happens when the hypoglossal nerve is damaged'.
Terms explored this week; Intrinsic (longitudinal, transverse, and vertical) and extrinsic (palatoglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, genioglossus) muscles of the tongue. The hypoglossal nerve & hypoglossal canal.

The Trigeminal nerve (CNV)

In this episode we explore the 5th cranial nerve, CNV aka The Trigeminal nerve, discussing the function and route of its three major branches. We will also discover what happens when we damage one of these branches, and SPOILERS it has nothing to do with facial palsy or facial weakness.
Terms explored this episode; Trigeminal nerve, Ophthalmic branch V1, Maxillary branch V2, Mandibular branch V3. Superior orbital fissure, Foramen rotundum, Foramen Ovale and finally Trigeminal neuralgia.

A Vertebra

This week let’s talk about a vertebra (singular) and explore its named parts. We will also compare how and why these vertebrae (pleural) differ throughout the spinal column.
Terms covered this week; vertebral body, spinous & transverse processes, spinal canal, laminae, intervertebral foramen and articular facets.