Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

The Major Nerves of the Upper Limb

Today's episode is a follow on from last week in which we explore the compartments and 5 major nerves of the upper limb
Terms covered in this episode; Axillary nerve, Radial nerve, Median nerve, Ulnar nerve & Musculocutaneous nerve.

The Brachial Plexus

This week Sam fancied a challenge…The question is, do you? In this episode, we untangle the plexus of nerves that innervate the upper limb. Roots, trunks, divisions, cords & then branches, leaving us with the big 5 nerves that are a must-know.  
Nerves covered this week; The Axillary, Musculocutaneous, Median, Radial & Ulnar nerves of the upper limb.

The Carotid Sheath

Deep within the neck, we find biology’s version of a cable tidy that houses and protects the great vessels of the neck in addition to one of the most critical nerves in the human body. This week let us dissect out some details on this tube-like structure. What exactly is it, where is it and what does it contain?
Terms covered this week; Deep neck fascia, the platysma & sternocleidomastoid muscles. The internal jugular vein. The common, external & internal carotid arteries. Carotid blowout syndrome.
 

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.