Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

This week let's tackle an area of anatomy that many learn ready for an exam, only to discover that this knowledge has gone again mere days to weeks later. The infamous but wonderful anatomy underpinning facial palsies and specifically how to differentiate upper vs lower motor neurone lesions.
In this podcast, we will discuss key anatomical principles underpinning types of motor neurones and give a nod to the corticobulbar tract. We will discuss how bicortical representation of the temporal branch of CNVII has no doubt saved countless lives. And finally, why weakness in the forehead and the inability to raise one’s eyebrows is somewhat reassuring in a facial nerve palsy. If this is an area of anatomy you struggle with or you simply want to hear more about it, then join us in this episode of dissectible me!

To micturate or not to micturate that is the question? This week let's talk about bladder function and focus on what nerves facilitate this function. Stretch receptors, the detrusor muscle, internal vs external urethral sphincters, parasympathetic vs sympathetic bladder control, and the named nerves that control all of this. 

This week we explore the anatomy of cranial nerve VII, the Facial nerve. Let's travel along its tortuous route, and discover its many branches linking each to their varied functions. Along our journey, we will explore vestigial ear wigglers, a small muscle that probably dampens down and protects against LOUD NOISES, and finish by exploring the signs and symptoms experienced by someone during a facial nerve palsy. 
 

Some musculoskeletal anatomy this week, specifically the infamous rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. Their location, function, and some clinical relevance such as rotator cuff tears and impingement.

This week let’s delve into the anatomy of the scalp. 5 layers of connective tissue that sit atop the cranial vault to provide numerous functions not limited to allowing a fancy hairdo. In this episode, we will explore the structure of these layers, the neurovascular supply and also discuss emissary veins. Examining this anatomy will allow us to explain why scalp lacerations can cause significant haemorrhage, and also understand why infections in the danger layer of the scalp can be life-threatening!

At the very end of the gastrointestinal tract is a length of bowel that is arguably the most important part of the whole tract. This terminal segment creates a solid, liquid, and event air-tight barrier, which provides control over bowel contents until it is socially acceptable to release them. But how? In this podcast, Sam discusses the anatomy of the four mechanisms of feacal continence. Specific areas covered include the internal vs external anal sphincters, the pelvic floor muscles, and the vascular anal cushions. Also discussed are nerve supply and aetiology of faecal incontinence. 

Today we will tell you a story about a little green coloured fluid called bile that aids digestion and is made in a megafactory called the liver. One day it decides to escape the confines of the liver through a system of tunnels or drainage tubes. Along its treacherous journey bile is made to seek refuge in a safe house called the gallbladder. Only when its friend 'Cholecystokinin' gives it the “all clear” does it continue its liberation where along the way it joins forces with a fellow escapee 'exocrine juices' from a nearby prison called the pancreas. They unite! Together they form a crime-fighting super team, as they enter the rolling tundra of the duodenum, digesting and breaking down fats, proteins, or anything else that gets in their way!!……… Sorry I was chatting about some of my favourite films the other day and my mind wandered back to them when writing this synopsis……..today we are talking about the gallbladder, bile, and the biliary tree. We will cover the anatomy that underpins the clinical conditions of jaundice, cholecystitis, ascending cholangitis, and gallstone pancreatitis.

This week we tackle the large intestine…..figuratively speaking! Its location, parts, functions, and something that is particularly important in this area of anatomy, the blood supply.

In this episode, we explore a subpart of the central nervous system by dissecting the basic anatomy of the spinal cord. We will delve into its location, length, diameter, and internal organisation of grey vs white matter. We outline terms such as spinal nerve, the conus medullaris, and scrutinize how this latter structure differs from the cauda equina. All this anatomy lays the foundation for discussing a lumbar puncture but also looking at spinal cord injuries and how spinal levels and nerve root values can be used to pinpoint the location of spinal lesions.  

This week Sam completes his recent journey through the small bowel by discussing the anatomy of the ileum. Location, function, blood supply, innervation, lymphatics, and how this part of the bowel differs from other sections of the small intestine.