Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

Nasal blood supply & Epistaxis

This week let's re-enter the nasal cavity & focus our attention on its blood supply. Why does the nose have such a significant blood supply? What vessels contribute to it? And what happens when it breaks? 
The terms covered this week are Little's area or Kiesselbach's plexus & Woodruff's plexus. The blood vessels with the mnemonic L.E.G.S, Labial (Superior), Ethmoids (anterior & posterior), Greater palatine & Sphenopalatine arteries. 
 

The Diaphragm

This week we explore the primary muscle of respiration that separates the thoracic & abdominal cavities. A muscle that was historically thought of as being the seat of the soul. In this podcast, we will dissect out the diaphragm's form, function, innervation, & blood supply. Whilst also explaining the origin of some of the terms we use to describe diaphragm-related structures.
The terms mentioned this week are the diaphragm and phrenic nerves. Costophrenic and costodiaphragmatic angles. The oesophageal hiatus and caval openings. Crura, the xiphisternum, skeletal muscle & somatic nerves.

The Pharynx (An Introduction)

In this 5-minute soundbite, we will cover the very basics of the tube that connects your nose, mouth and aerodigestive tracts. Location, subparts, composition, function and dysfunction. We will also cover sensory and motor innervation. 
Terms covered this week; The pharynx and its subparts. Nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx (or hypopharynx). The constrictor muscles and mucosa. The vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves. 

Nerves of the Hand

This week we cover the nerves of the hand. The major motor components & the sensory distribution of each of the nerves that meander into the distal extremity of the upper limb. 
Terms covered in this episode are the median, radial & ulnar nerves. The flexor retinaculum. The thenar eminence & the lumbricals. 

The Atlas & Axis (C1 & C2)

Adorning the top of your spine are two unique vertebrae. Arguably the most important of the lot. Your Atlas & Axis or C1 & C2. In this episode, we explore greek inspired etymology, vertebral osteology & investigate why exactly cervical spinal injuries are so dangerous. By the end of this episode, you should be able to look through the 33 spinal bones all jumbled up & easily pick these two from the bunch. 
Terms covered this week; Atlas & axis. Spinous & transverse processes. Vertebral and transverse foramen. Vertebral body, lateral mass & articular facets. 

The Pineal gland

A fascinating topic this week, the pineal gland. The neuroendocrine structure that releases melatonin and helps regulate sleep cycles. Also, a structure that throughout history people have tried to assign all sorts of unusual functions. Join us this week as we try to unravel fact from fiction whilst covering location, function, and a smidge of clinical relevance.
Terms covered this week are the pineal gland, melatonin, pineal or parietal eye. Circadian rhythm, diurnal & sleep hygiene.  

The Carpal bones

In this episode let’s take a glance at some of the trickiest bones to identify, the bones of the carpus or wrist. More commonly known as the carpal bones.
Terms covered this week. The wrist movements of flexion, extension, ulnar & radial deviation. The carpal bones; trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate, pisiform, triquetrum, lunate & scaphoid. The anatomical snuff box & avascular necrosis.

The Cardiac veins

When it comes to the heart and its blood supply the coronary arteries take most of the limelight. But where does the deoxygenated blood go after supplying the muscle of the heart? How does it return to the circulatory system? In short, it travels through the cardiac veins our focus for this week's podcast. Names, locations and their anatomy. 
Terms covered this week; The great, the middle and the small cardiac veins. The coronary sinus.

The Brainstem (An Introduction)

This week let's take a first pass at covering some brainstem anatomy. Let's discuss the three subsections, the broad functions these have, and point out some of the fascinating features this vital area of the brain houses.
Terms covered this week, The midbrain, the pons and the medulla oblongata. The cerebral and cerebellar peduncles. The corpora quadragemina, which itself is made up of the superior and inferior colliculi. The red nucleus, the substantia nigra and the reticular formation. The medullary pyramids and lots of cranial nerve nuclei. 

The Pericardium

Today let’s discuss the membranous layers of tissue that house and protect the heart. What they are, where they are, function, innervation, importance, and a smidge of clinical relevance to finish.  
Terms covered this week. Layers of the heart; endocardium, myocardium & epicardium. The two layers of the pericardium; the serous pericardium (itself divided into visceral & parietal) & the fibrous pericardium. The pericardial cavity. Phrenic nerves & cardiac tamponade.