Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

Synovial joints are specialised for movement. The shapes of the articulating surfaces define what movements are allowed, and we can anatomically classify synovial joints by these shapes and by these movements. We have hinge, ball and socket, plane, saddle and condyloid synovial joints. 

Fibrous joints, cartilaginous joints and synovial joints. We can define them by what they are made of, and in turn, what they are made of tells us what movements they might allow. 

The biggest bone in the body. What pertinent anatomical features should you be aware of?

What would I include if I only had 5 minutes to talk about the functional anatomy of the ovary? 

What nerves run through the inguinal canal and are they at risk of injury during an inguinal hernia repair? 

The hippocampus is part of the limbic system in the brain. What does that mean? What does it do? Where is it? In 5 minutes(ish)?

The oesophagus is a muscular tube linking the pharynx to the stomach. The muscles of the face and pharynx are skeletal and under somatic control, whereas the muscles of the stomach are smooth and autonomic. Where does this change happen? 

Why do we have three tiny bones in each ear? 

When we talk about "stroke" or a cerebrovascular event we're describing reduced blood flow to a region of the brain. What are the different types and how does this relate to our functional anatomical knowledge of the brain, brainstem and blood supply? 

The trochlear nerve (CN IV) has the single task of innervating the superior oblique muscle. Unfortunately the actions of this muscle on the eye are a little awkward to understand, so how is the eye affected if the trochlear nerve is injured?

The abducens nerve is one of those lovely cranial nerves that only does one thing, making learning it nice and easy. But what happens when it is injured, and how can that knowledge be helpful? 

What happens to the eye when the oculomotor nerve is injured or compressed? How can these signs and symptoms inform us about what might be happening inside the cranial cavity? 

The pupillary light reflex can let you test the optic nerve, midbrain and oculomotor nerve just by shining a light into someone's eye. Let's talk about the anatomy and how this works. 

Those folds and lumps of the external ear have all got names. Let's feel the concha, tragus, antitragus, helix, antihelix and opening of the external acoustic meatus together. 

The acoustic reflex is a mechanism that protects the ear from loud sounds. It is also called the stapedial reflex, middle-ear-muscle reflex and auditory reflex, among other names. What is the neuroanatomical pathway of this reflex, how does it work, how are the smallest bone and muscle in the body involved, and how can it be useful in determining problems with hearing?

The hypothalamus, as its name suggests, lies in the brain inferior and anterior to the thalamus. It is a central structure in modulating many autonomic functions and homeostasis. What does that mean, and what does it do?

What do we mean by the neck of the femur and why do we worry (more than usual) about a fracture here? 

The blood brain barrier describes how the endothelial cells of the capillaries in the brain are tightly stuck together by tight junctions, wrapped in the feet of astrocytes and lined by a basement lamina. This stops most molecules from moving between the blood and the brain through any gaps. Instead, transporters are needed to transport molecules across the endothelial cells. Why does this happen...

The brain has spaces inside it, interconnected and filled with cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid is continually produced here and flows from chamber to chamber, sometimes through narrow passageways, until it leaves to surround the brain and spinal cord. 

Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the brain, brainstem and spinal cord, it fills spaces within them, is continually produced and drained away, but why? 

The muscles that flex and extend the elbow joint. Biceps brachii, brachialis, triceps brachii, anconeus and brachioradialis. What they attach to, how they move the bones and the nerves that innervate them in 5 minutes(ish). 

The term "brain death" can be used to refer to irreparable damage of the brainstem or cerebrum. By considering the differing functional anatomy of the brainstem and the cerebrum we can more clearly understand what type of injury is being referred to when this term is used in relation to a particular person. Functional neuroanatomy also helps us understand why movement of the eyes, groaning, and ev...

The midbrain is the upper part of the brainstem. In here we find tracts running to and from the spinal cord and cerebrum. We find nuclei and groups of neurones such as the substantia nigra, red nucleus, periaqueductal grey, colliculi and reticular formation. Cranial nerves III and IV come out of the brainstem. What do all of these things do? What does all this mean? 

Quadriceps femoris and the hamstrings are powerful extensors and flexors of the knee respectively, but they also cross the hip joint. Let's talk about their anatomy. 

The pelvic floor (or pelvic diaphragm) describes the structures at the lowest point of the pelvis, largely muscles, that support the pelvic organs directly and everything else inside the torso. Let's explain concisely the important anatomy here.