Anatomy & Physiology For Everyone: Bones and Muscles

I have tested and use very frequently this wonderful app calle Skeleton 3D Animation. As you know anatomy is a descriptive science and not so long ago we only had available coloured pictures atlases of human anatomy, no doubt they were awesome, but let me tell you, this digital 3D models will change the way you learn anatomy because it will show you the tree-dimensional perspective of the structures you are looking at, it will allow you to pan around and rotate the model so you can record a clear 3D perspective in your brain about the skull, vertebral column, lower limb and upper limb. And that was certainly impossible in a paperback format! 

You can download it for free and it will give you access to the skull and the vertebral column, which is a great start. If you like it you can invest as little as 3 or 4 euros and you will get access to the rest of the skeletal system. Check out this video-tour that I have prepared for you and you will be amazed about the perfect reconstructions of real human bone structures in digital format and the practical functions that this app offers to all kinds of students.

In this first video presentation of the Skeletal System we will be studying the different body movements which are important in order to understand further the different synovial joints and how are they related to these movements. Also we will be looking at the skeletal functions and bone composition, you will be able to understand what other vital functions are available in the bone apart from the common ones and how this is related to the bone composition.

In this session we will be stuyding closely at the different types of bones according to their shape and function and how a long bone is structurally organized, that is what we call the macrostructure of a long bone. In here you will be able to identify the different anatomical parts of a long bone, what do they contain and what's the role of each structure. In the next videos we will be studying the microstructure of the bones and together with the view of the macrostructure, it will give you a complete idea on a bone is organized.

Now that you have a global understanding on how the bones are organized macroscopically, just at a simple glance, it is important to understand how it is organized under a microscopic point of view. So in this lecture we will be diving inside the bone in order to understand that the bone is a living entity and how are the cells and other structures organized in order to give such wonderful features to our skeletal system from inside out.

Tendons and muscles are essential for limb movements of course, but bones are not fused together within one another, otherwise movements would be basically impossible! The amazing thing about joints is that each one fulfills an specific role, they allow many kinds of mechanical movements which are specific to the type of bone, or even more to the type of movement requiered in that place. They give us gentle and smooth kinetic freedom and all this is thanks to the joints. Of course not all joints are structurally the same, simply because all movements are actually different. Think about it, in terms of mechanics is lifting a cup of coffee similar to writting down a phone number in a paper? Definately not. In this lecture we will show you the different types of joints and what each one is able to offer us in terms of mechanical features. 

Lordosis is the inward curvature in the lower back. The lumbar spine normally has a slight inward curve. When the lumbar spine curves excessively, the condition is called lordosis, or “swayback”. Lordosis can occur in children and adolescents and may persist into adulthood if posture is not corrected. It is common among people with certain types of dwarfism, and may also occur during pregnancy.

Patients with lordosis may experience lower back and hip pain and difficulty walking. 

We are going to end up this tutorial of the vertebral column with the lumbar, sacral and coccygeal vertebrae. The main features of the lumbar vertebrae are:midsize triangular vertebral foramen(but remember that the cervical vertebrae had also a triangular verttebral foramen, although much wider, and the thoracic vertebrae have a small circular one),articular facets in medial or lateral directionto allow flexion and extension movements (but of course they are not as mobile as the vertebrae from the cervical region of the spine),short spinous processesand amassive kidney shaped bodywhich is very characteristic of the vertebrae of the lumbar region, more specifically the L5 is the largest one amongst the five. 

The sacrum is a wedged shaped bone originated from the fussion of five vertebrae, which normally occurrs after puberty. It has four pairs of foramina, visible on both ventral and dorsal views. If you apply a medial or sagittal plane on the sacrum, you will distinguish a sacral canal and a sacral hiatus just right after the fourth foramina of the sacrum and just right before the coccyx starts. 

The coccyx has 4 vertebrae, which can be named from Co1 to Co4. The first one is not found fused but from Co2 to Co4 they are normally found fussed. It is the remanent of our embryonic tail. 

In this lecture we will be studying the types of muscles according to their shape and function, the macro and microstructure of the skeletal muscle including a 3D model of a cross section. It's important to consider as well the differences between the skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscles.