Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with anatomy

The puzzling Palmaris Longus

jgwong — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:10:41 -0800

The Palmaris Longus is a notorious muscle of the hand since some people don't have it at all. Wait, what!? Yes, according to the Wikipedia, it is absent in about 14% of the population.

My anatomy book says this muscle does the flexion of the hand. My question is, are those 14% incapable of moving the hand that way? Do they miss something? Are they disabled in some way?

Nervous and cardiovascular systems detail for high school A&P?

houseofdanie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:26:25 -0800

Hello! I am leading an Anatomy & Physiology study group for homeschooled teens. The aim is to work at the advanced high school level, but I'm using a college textbook (Thibodeau & Patton), as the illustrations and charts are more useful, and it might come in handy for them for later reference. But I'm not sure how deep to delve. Does anyone know the detail with which HS A&P classes generally tackle the nervous and cardiovascular systems? I've found some syllabi online, but nothing with enough information to tell me how deep to go. I, myself, didn't take A&P til college.

Many thanks!

Looking for a 3D model of the human head

Alaska Jack — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:47:57 -0800

I'm trying to visualize, in 3D, the structure of my sinuses/nasal cavity. Is there a transparent 3D model of the human head somewhere out there on this crazy internet thing? I'm very happy since I started using a neti pot (actually, a neti-pot-type squeeze bottle made by NeilMed). But I have a hard time visualizing exactly where the water is going (besides the obvious -- up my nose). I'd be interested in seeing some kind of QuicktimeVR-type model (that is, zoomable, rotatable, etc) that would show me, in 3D, the sinuses and nasal cavity.

When I'm doing nasal irrigation, does the water go into the sinuses? Or just the nasal cavity? Why do my ears sometimes plug up? How exactly does the nasal cavity connect with the back of the throat?

There are plenty of 2D diagrams around, but I feel like I could understand these questions better if I could see a transparent 3D model. Any pointers?

- AJ

Gray's Anatomy for Snakes?

bubukaba — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:44:37 -0800

Asking for a friend: "Where can I get detailed anatomical sketches of a hemipenis while it's inverted, everted, penetrating a female, and transitioning between the two? I have access to a university's academic libraries, and to the internet, but probably not to specialized herpetologists' references."

What's the best way to study for organic chemistry and/or anatomy?

melodykramer — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:09:59 -0800

What are your best study strategies for learning organic chemistry and/or anatomy? I'm doing a post-bac premed year, and I'm taking anatomy, organic chemistry and physics (plus labs) all at once so that I can enter medical school next fall. (I was conditionally accepted pending the necessary GPA/MCAT scores this year.)

I'm finding myself become overwhelmed by the shear breadth of material to learn. I'm trying to break it up but it's still rather difficult to learn these subjects at once -- because for two of them, at least, I'm basically memorizing everything (orgo and anatomy) and am finding myself not able to retain everything.

I'm sure a lot of people here have taken these subjects. So...if you have...what should I do (considering it's early September) to make sure the year is successful? Any helpful little tips? Anything to do in particular?

Thank you in advance.

Looking for an obscure word

ubiquity — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:23:40 -0800

What is the name for the little notch at the bottom of one's neck between the clavicles? That is, the area directly under the 12 in this picture?

What Medically, Anatomically Is Happening In This NSFW Skydiving Photograph?

WCityMike — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:59:26 -0800

Something that's always had me a bit curious: how is what's happening to the breasts of the female skydivers in this image that's circulated around the 'Net (NSFW) even anatomically possible? I obviously know what's causing this – the force of the air from their freefall – but I suppose I'm just a little stumped on why the physiological result is that.

And why, if there's such a wind force, does there remain extruding "sides" of the breasts? If you were to flip the picture upside down, the effect on their breasts is sort of like a cup – a cylindrical "side" of the cup with a depression formed in the middle. If there's such a wind force as to push a female breast into the shape of that depression in the middle, why do those "sides" still stay up? Wouldn't the whole thing be a depression pushed inward?

(And, as a side note, speaking as a guy, how can that be happening to the female skydivers' breasts without his own, ahem, extrusion suffering from a similar condition?)

I'm not sure if this was originally put on the 'Net to be arousing, but I didn't find it the least bit so – my main reaction to it was a curious "How the hell does that happen to the human body?"

So, those with medical knowhow, mind enlightening me?

Throw me a bone

geronimo's folly — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:43:16 -0800

Hello! I am working on a cartoony illustration in which I am conveying physical human afflictions/parts of the anatomy that could have very literal visual translations. Some examples: a frog in your throat (temporary hoarseness because of phlegm or mucus). Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis), smoker's lung, kidney stones, funny bone (humerus). I am trying to represent different parts of the body in a cartoony way. For tennis elbow mentioned above, I would put a tennis racket where the forearm and arm meet. For funny bone, I could have the humerus with a clown's nose or something. It's a simple concept, but I think it's rich with examples that I haven't thought of yet. Viral, bacterial infections are a possibility, though I am thinking more on the macro level. Thank you!

Pull the strings!

creasy boy — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:33:47 -0800

I'm looking for a free or very cheap 3-d model of the shoulder joint. Online or for real. I fucked up my shoulder and I've been doing a lot of reading but I just can't really put a good picture of how all the parts work and move. I'm terrible at spatial thinking and I just can't really get anything useful out of 2-d diagrams and descriptions. Googling I found software and real plastic models for sale, but I'm not really gonna drop hundreds on something and then have this weird plastic thing sitting around the apartment. Is there a way I can poke and prod virtually? ...Or, if you know of a spectacular text description that would enlighten me where others have failed, I'd appreciate that too. I'm just interested in seeing how the scapula and other shits move around when you move your arm in different directions, and what tendons go where.

I would make a horrible surgeon.

ocherdraco — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:28:00 -0800

Why do my hands mirror each other's movements? Something I've wondered my whole life, and that some anatomically savvy MeFite might be able to explain: moving one of my hands (say, making a fist or moving my thumb around in a circular motion, or writing with a pen) causes the other hand to make sympathetic movements (more like twitches of the corresponding muscles than exact copies of the other hand's motion). They aren't noticeable if I'm using both my hands to do something, but if one hand is at rest, it's obvious. It seems to be stronger one way than the other. My mother's hands do this too. Why?

Tips for people with large heads?

zaebiz — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:53:29 -0800

I have always had a large head. The rest of my body is normal-sized but I always takes the largest size hats. I guess I am looking for some perspective now that I am a bit older on how unusual it is, what are the causes, who else has a large head and how they deal with it. It's ok - I don't have any sort of hangup about it - my life is very normal and happy and it was never much of a hindrance (any more than other aspects of my personality were!) but I do wonder how other people view it. I have read for example that there is some demonstrated correlation between autism and head size. I am far from autistic but I guess I exhibit some signs - perhaps difficulty shutting out external input in social situations for example. I have also heard anecdotally from several sources that there is some correlation between intelligence and head size. Any other known medical knowledge? Anyone famous with an over-sized head? Anyone else have such a head? Any fashion tips?

I know my chicken. You got to know your chicken.

sourwookie — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:33:04 -0800

On the interior portion of a chicken leg quarter in a recessed portion of the bone is a small brown organ with a liver-like texture. What is this organ anatomically and does it have a culinary term attached to it?

Virtual Weight Loss Images

Rykey — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:53:41 -0800

Is there a website/web app that allows me to plug in different measurements I take of my body, then shows me an image of what I might look like at different body weights and/or physical conditions? I'm in the (slow) process of losing a significant amount of weight, and getting in better shape physically in general. I realize that everyone's body stores fat and bulks up on muscle differently, but it'd be a great inspiration to be able to see what I would look like at different milestones on my journey.

Normally, I'd just find people of similar skeletal structure and height and infer from their bodies what I might look like. But that's the trouble: I have a somewhat unusual skeleton proportion-wise (very short legs, wide shoulders, wide hips), so it's tough to do that.

It was actually that weird breast-implant software that's used to show women what their new pair would look like that got me thinking about this. I would imagine that with the right data (e.g., the width between my shoulder blades, my height, the places my body tends to distribute fat), a computer could show me a picture of what I might look like at different weights and muscularity. But is there anything like this on the web?

What's causing the yucky taste?

Melismata — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:29:50 -0800

I have a cold, and my mouth tastes yucky. What specifically is happening? While having this mild chest cold, my mouth tastes like sour dirty socks, with a flavor of what's coming up in my chest and very magnified by whatever I've just eaten. (Throat a bit sore, but not too bad; no other symptoms.) What is the connection between the virus causing the cold and the taste buds/olfactory nerves acting weird? What is going on here physiologically/anatomically?

(With some colds I get a metallic taste, but not this one; the sourness seems to be the overriding distinction.)

Bodyhacks

bobobox — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:39:32 -0800

I am looking for experiments, useful tricks, and fun things to try out, using my biological cycles, chemistry and anatomy. I recently reset my day/night cycle to combat jet lag after a long flight using information from this thread and knowledge of my circadian rhythm and the experience was SUPER satisfying to me. Whenever I need to sneeze and don't want to at that moment, I can get rid of it by pressing my tongue into my soft pallet, interfering with some facial nerve, I suppose. I am eager to try out other bodyhacks but I can't think of any more.

I found this article on Men'sHealth.com which has some good stuff in it but not quite what I am looking for.

I am most interested in: the useful, complex, or grand, along the lines of clock reseting
I am less interested in, but am open to: gimmicky tricks of the anatomy, along the lines of the sneeze example.

I am willing to use: supplements (used melatonin to help reset my clock), diet, my environs, and of course, my senses, anatomy and anything in it.
I am not willing to use: illegal drugs, anything I have to spend a lot of money on, ideally I should already possess everything I need to do it

I am female so if you know of any that are gender specific I will only be able to do things that require two X chromosomes. But feel free to contribute XY suggestions for the sake of completeness.

If you have suggestions, please also give the scientific explanation of how it works.

When in doubt, it's a "renal" something or a "hepatic" something.

houseofdanie — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:23:07 -0800

On Thursday morning, I'm taking my final exam in Anatomy & Physiology II. I typically have test anxiety, and this time, it's reaching fever pitch. What are your favorite little mnemonics and/or rules of thumb that you rely upon in order to remember... uh, everything? Tho I tend to test well, this particular exam is a pivotal one in my education. I have extensive notes, charts, books, diagrams, and what-not, all of which I've studied til the cows came home, but I find it comforting to have little mental crutches when thinking about complex subjects.

As an example, I adore the "Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas" mnemonic for remembering the leukocytes and their relative percentages in blood. From this, I can imagine the pictures I've drawn for each cell type, what they do, and so on and so forth.

On this exam will include: endocrine system, reproductive systems, fertilization and development, lymphatic and immune systems, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, metabolism (redox reactions; anabolism/catabolism of carbs, fats, and proteins), electrolytes in body fluids, and acid-base balance. I think that about covers it. The nervous system was covered in detail last semester, but of course, it permeates every other system, so it's still important to keep in studies.

My weak points are histology (locations of various connective tissues will kill me) and anatomical precision in areas such as cardiovascular layout. I'm strongest with chemistry and general physiology.

Aaaanyway, just as a matter of keeping my panic to a dull buzz, will you please share your mental crutches with me? My future patients and I thank you very much!

Show me bellybutton backside!

uandt — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:42:45 -0800

What does the navel look like from the inside?

Human Anatomy Lab courses in NYC

iamck — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:38:10 -0800

Human Anatomy/Microbiology Independent Lab courses for college credit...in NYC? Anywhere? In my chase to acquire prereq's for a post-bacc nursing program, I've found that I'm missing two major requirements - laboratory courses for Human Anatomy and Microbiology. My University in Oregon offered them separate from lecture, but I can't seem to find anything like that in NYC, at any of the city or state schools. Am I going to have to go back to Oregon?

Is there any way to search quickly for courses without going on a scan college by college basis?

Finding anatomy poster source image?

andreux — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:50:06 -0800

How can I find the original source image from an anatomy poster? I'm looking for the original source image that this poster is taken from.

It looks like it's from an old anatomy textbook and is probably something now in the public domain.

I've found similar old anatomy color plates on Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg but can't find this particular work. I've also tried Googling some of the phrases from the inscription, but no luck.

Any suggestions?

Do I just suck it up?

repoman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:58:19 -0800

Currently, I am 39 years old. Everybody seems to think I look fit & trim. I do exercise 4-5 times a week with cardio and weights and when I look in the mirror, I am generally pleased. So the question is why, when I let my self completely relax, I still have this gut? Is there some inner muscle I need to be working (my core), or is it a product of age? Do most people walk around subconsiously holding in their stomachs?

Like I said, it is only when I let myself completely relax in a standing position. Potbelly city man! Please tell me this is normal. Thanks.

Help me study human anatomy!

schroedinger — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:17:37 -0800

Your favorite human anatomy study resources? I'm looking for the best online quizzes, websites, and flashcards, as well as the best paper flashcards. More detailed is favored over less detailed--though right now they're only for my EMT-B certification, eventually I'd like them to carry me all the way to my EMT-P (Paramedic). For example, I've been looking at the Netter's Anatomy Flashcards. Has anyone had any luck with these?

Gross Anatomy for the Layperson?

minervous — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:28:28 -0800

I want to learn gross anatomy. Help me find a cadaver. This article in the New York Times about high school students getting cadaver dissection experience made me 1) jealous and 2) motivated to find my own gross anatomy course.

I own several anatomy books and know them well, and have a good working knowledge of the body from dance training. But I really, really want to take classes that will lead to hands-on dissection. (Barring my actually getting to wield a scalpel, I'll settle for watching and getting to touch.)

So, any ideas how or where I could get hands-on anatomy training?

(I'm in NYC, I'm not going to attend medical school, and I've been to see the Bodies exhibit already.)

Thanks!

People paws?

gottabefunky — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:49:14 -0800

If toes and fingers are digits, and arms and legs are appendages (limbs, extremities), what's the general anatomical term for hands and feet?

When I bite down lightly on the inside of my lower lip, I feel something resembling little balls. What are they?

tweebiscuit — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:46:16 -0800

When I bite down lightly on the inside of my lower lip, I feel something resembling little balls moving between my teeth, as though it were full of the stuff that's inside a hacky-sack. What are those little balls? Note that this isn't a question about any odd medical condition -- I'm under the impression that everyone has these little ball-like things.

Extra credit: When I close my eyes, then pinch my closed eyelids, I hear and feel a tiny "squinch" noise, and feel a mass between my fingers that feels separate from my eye. (Obviously, I do this lightly.) Am I squeezing a part of my eye (such as my cornea) when I do this, or am I simply manipulating a vacuum inside my closed eye? (I've discussed this matter with friends before and opinion is divided.)

Fish skull thingies

casarkos — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:18:18 -0800

Icthyoid anatomy question: what are these things inside fish skulls? When I pick apart the skull from a whole fish to get at the last tasty meat bits, I frequently find a pair of hard brittle pieces sitting just behind the fish brain, which don't seem to be attached to anything. These pieces are different shapes and sizes depending on the fish species, and are harder and more brittle than fish bone - actually they seem to have the same texture as tooth enamel or seashells, and each pair is exactly symmetrical, so I don't think they're calcium deposits or somesuch. Anyway what are these things, and what are they for? Do other vertebrates have them, and I'm only finding them in fish because that's the vertebrate skulls I'm most likely to have access to?