The Senses...Are you hearing this!?

Picture this...You are one week away from the midterm and you have the duty of recalling the last 5 weeks of anatomy structures. What is going through your head right now? Some may be thinking, "Oh, it won't be that bad," others may have the thought, "All those bones and muscles...that is so much to review," and others may just as well think, "This test is going to stomp me!" If there are anatomy students out there that currently have these thoughts, don't worry, it has happened to the best of us. Believe it or not, it happened to me when I took the class. My best advice I can give this week is as follows:

1. Study hard for the Central Nervous System quiz.
2. Once that is completed, use as much time as you can gather to be in the open lab reviewing the first 5 weeks of terms before Friday, February 19th at 1PM.
3. On Friday, February 19th, at 1PM, the midterm exam will be pinned and their will only be one room open for open lab.
4. Just a word of caution concerning this, with the midterm pinned, all you have to study from is at most two cadavers and specimens that are not being used on the test. Remember that the one open lab will be occupied all week by over 800 students.

**In a nut shell, do your best to start your review studies now and don't wait to the last minute to do so. The sooner you start, the better off you will be. Also, you will be much happier and who doesn't like to be happy?!

With that in mind, lets turn our attention to the material for this week, the Peripheral Nervous System. This week is full of so many fun and interesting structures. We have the cranial nerves that are responsible for most of our sensations, the structures of the eye and ear and also the major nerves of the brachial, femoral, gluteal and popliteal regions. It may seem like alot right now but as one begins to study these terms, one will soon find out just how much these structures help us enjoy the little beauties surrounding us. If that is not impressive enough wrap your mind around these interesting details. Did you know that the nose can remember over 50,000 different scents? Did you know that the eye has over 2 million working parts and can process over 36,000 bits of information every hour? Neat, huh!? The senses truly are extraordinary when considered on that kind of scale. Overall, the peripheral nerves, as tiny as they are, allow us to see life around us, taste great food, and hear the most beautiful sounds man and nature can create.

**As you marvel at the wonder of these creations, here are this week's study tips:

The 12 Cranial Nerves: There are a few sayings that you may hear to remember all 12 of these nerves. Here is the story I learned when I took the class:

On Old Olympus Towering Top, A Finely Vested German Viewed A Hawk

Olfactory(I), Optic(II), Oculomotor(III), Trochlear(IV), Trigeminal(V), Abducens(VI), Facial(VII), Vestibulocochlear(VIII), Glossopharyngeal(IX), Vagus(X), Accessory(XI), Hypoglossal(XII)

**Remember that all these names end in "nerve"

Things to note about the Cranial Nerves:

1. Vestibulocochlear nerve is two nerves running together. When studying this nerve, look for the one that is double barreled. It looks like it is coming out of Patrick's ear and this nerve's function is hearing.
2. Trochlear nerve originates at the base of the corpora quadrigemina and wraps around to the front of the pons. This one is a tiny thing so look closely for it!
3. Glossopharyngeal nerve rests above the Vestibulorcochlear nerve. Think of this nerve as being Patrick's glossy hair.
4. Facial nerve acts like Patrick's facial hairs.
5. Abducens nerve rests on Patrick's abdominal muscles.
6. Trigeminal nerve is Patrick's armpit hairs.
7. In Review, this is the order of a few nerves going from the base of the pons up the medulla oblongata: Oculomotor nerve, Abducens nerve, Trigeminal nerve, Facial nerve, Vestibulocochlear nerve, Glossopharyngeal nerve, Vagus nerve and Accessory nerve.

Brachial Plexus

**Look for the "M" nerve in the armpit region. Each leg of the "M" is a different nerve and it goes from lateral to medial according to this saying:

• Mickey Mouse University: Musculocutaneous nerve, Median nerve and Ulnar Nerve. The Radial Nerve dives deep into the "M" because it is too RAD to go to school.
• Musculocutaneous nerve dives deep into the brachial muscles.
• Median nerve is the central leg of the "M".
• Ulnar nerve is on the ulnar side of the arm.

The Eye

The Journey of a Tear:

1. lacrimal gland
2. excretory lacrimal ductules
3. lacrimal punctum: you can see this in your own eye; just look in a mirror, pull down your lower eyelid and look for the hole in the medial portion of the eye.
4. lacrimal canals
5. lacrimal sac
6. nasolacrimal duct: runs through the nasolacrimal canal in the skull.
7. Out the nose: This is why when your cry, your nose gets runny too!

Muscles of the Eye: a few pointers

1. Make sure to orient yourself with they eye specimens and understand what is the superior, inferior, lateral and medial portions of the eye.
2. Lacrimal gland is always lateral
3. Caruncle is always medial
4. On the Superior portion of the eye, the superior oblique is under the superior rectus
5. On the Inferior portion of the eye, the inferior oblique is over the inferior rectus
6. Trochlea: a loop-like piece of tissue that sits on the inside of the orbit and feeds the superior oblique like a pulley system.

Layers of the Eye

• From Superficial to Deep: Sclera, Choroid, Retina

Chambers of the Eye:

1. Anterior Chamber: Cornea to Iris
2. Posterior Chamber: Iris to Lens
3. These two chambers are filled with Aqueous Humor
4. Vitreous Chamber: Entire posterior segment of the eye, located between the posterior side of the lens and the retina
5. This chamber is filled with Vitreous Humor

The Ear

External Ear

• Auricle: Fleshy portion of the ear composed of elastic cartilage.

Middle Ear

• Auditory Ossicles: malleus(hammer), incus(anvil), stapes(saddle stirrup)
• Vestibular window: remember it as the oval window because the semicircular canals on the vestibule are oval shaped.
• Cochlear window: remember it as the round window because the cochlea is round shaped.

Inner Ear

• Vestibule: Innervated by the vestibular nerve; portion of the vestibulocochlear nerve
• Cochlea: Innervated by the cochlear nerve; portion of the vestibulocochlear nerve

Cross Section of the Cochlea

• The two pairs of "Scalas"
• Scala Vestibuli: wear your vest on top
• Scala Tympani: wear your pants on the bottom
• Both the "scalas" are filled with perilymph(Pair-e-lymph)
• Cochlear Duct is in between both "Scalas" and is filled with Endolymph
• Tectorial Membrane: resembles a diving board
• Spiral Organ of Corti: consists of ONLY the basilar membrane and the cochlear hair cells

** Have fun learning the senses and happy studying!!!

The Brain: Our Navigation Diamond.

We have finally made it to the brain!!! We can say so long to muscles for now but don't forget them too fast! The midterm exam is coming up in a couple of weeks. So keep up the studying and don't forget to start reviewing now! It truly is amazing how complex the human brain is. With a total weight of about 3 pounds, it is the initiator of practically everything we do in a days work. From the very moment one gets out of bed to the many hours one puts into this class, the brain is highly active and always working overtime. Did you know the brain is still functioning even while we sleep? It never takes a break!!! On average, information in your brain travels at a rate of about 268 miles per hour. Also, it is estimated that the brain has 100 billion nerve cells and more connections in it than there are stars in the universe, which is about the number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Wow, the brain never ceases to amaze me!

This week in lab, our focus is the Central Nervous System. This system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. A good chunk of the terms you have probably heard before, but most are very new and unfamiliar I am sure. Whatever the case may be for you, with enough time and practice you will know more about the brain than ever before in your entire life. So with that, here are some tips and helpful mnemonics for you to use in your studies.

Week 5 Study Tips

1. The models are helpful, but make sure to study off of the specimens. Learn as many terms from as many brain dissections as you can. You are most likely going to be quizzed on the dissections only. Begin by orienting yourself by way of the models. As you get better and more advanced, move onto the specimens.
2. The Brain can be pinned from all sorts of angles. Think back to the very first week of anatomy. The body regions and planes were taught and we learned about the coronal and sagittal planes. These types of cuts are very popular to use in lab quizzes. If you can't find a good sagittal or coronal cut, talk to a TA and they will be able to pull out a good specimen to show you. There are some tricky pins in regards to this week. Be creative as you study!
3. Be very gentle with the brains! Brain tissue is very delicate and tears easily. Many, many hours go into preparing a brain specimen. Spray them frequently and be sure not to poke at them. One bad tear and overtime, a brain specimen will become harder and harder to learn from.

**So here are some terms for the week and ways to remember them!!!

Cerebrum: Cerebro (X-men) sits on your cerebrum...or just think the biggest part of the brain.

• Genu: the genius' sit in the front
• Splenium: it's splendid to sit in the back

Cerebellum: sits at the base of the Cerebrum

• Arbor Vitae: "Tree of Life" - resembles a tree
  
• Vermis: Vermin that peeks out of his hole - the connection between the two cerebellar hemispheres

The "Duck" Picture

• Thalamus: duck's head
• Interthalamic Adhesion: duck's eye
• Hypothalamus: duck's beak
• Infundibulum: straw coming out of the duck's beak
• Pituitary Gland: bubble on the end of the straw, if the duck were to spit he would saw "pituey"
• Pineal Gland: feather on the back of the duck's head. You will be able to study this structure best on a sagittal cut brain and a brain with a removed cerebellum.

**Or another way to think about the infundibulum and the pituitary gland - it is FUN to blow bubbles!!!

The Troll/Patrick the Star Fish Picture (The one you have all been waiting for!!!)

• Pons: Troll's body
• Medulla Oblongata: Troll's head
• Cerebral Peduncles: Troll's legs
• Cerebellar Pedencles: Troll's arms
• Corpora Quadrigemina: Troll's calfs (Gastrocnemius)

The Spinal Cord

• Anterior Median Fissure: All Men Fear
• Posterior Median Sulcus: P-M-S

Gray and White Matter

• The Brain is like a Twinkie: Gray Matter on the outside (cake), White Matter on the inside (cream filling).
• The Spinal cord is like a corn dog: Gray Matter on the inside (meat), White Matter on the outside (bun).

**Remember: Gray Matter consists of axon cell bodies and White Matter consists of myelinated axons. In the brain, there are nerve impulses going into it, and in the spinal cord there are nerve impulses going away from it.

Meninges: The covering of the brain

• Dura Mater: tough mother
• Arachnoid Mater: spider-like
• Pia Mater: gentle mother

**Note: The Pia Mater cannot be physically separated from the brain tissue. If pinned on a quiz, there will be a pin going into the brain and a question asking, "What mater is the pin going through?"

Reflex Arc

• Sensory Afferent Neuron: sense someone looking at your back.
• Motor Efferent Neuron: drive a motor-vehicle in the front.

Remember to think SAME DAVE

• Sensory Afferent, Motor Efferent
• Dorsal Afferent, Ventral Efferent

Ventricles: producers of Cerebral Spinal Fluid

• Lateral Ventricle: Inside the space of the corpus callosum
• Septum Pellucidum: Membrane sheath that divides the two lateral ventricles
• Third Ventricle: Around the Thalamus
• Fourth Ventricle: Anterior to the Cerebellum
• Mesencephalic (Cerebral) Aqueduct: Tube connecting the third and fourth ventricles
• Choroid Plexus: Tiny grape-like structures, found in the ventricles, that make cerebral spinal fluid.

**I hope this helps. Good luck studying this week and don't forget to review for the midterm and little bit every day. Happy Studying!!!

Fun Fact for the Day:

• The Superior Colliculus, of the Corpora Quadrigemina, is responsible for turning our head with a sight we see.
• The Inferior Colliculus, of the Corpora Quadrigemina, is responsible for turning our head with a sound we hear.

Muscles, Muscles and More Muscles!

You did it!!! You survived your first week of muscles! Now you can take a breather from that nasty forearm, and start up again with more muscles. Only this time, our focus is the lower limbs of the body. Now I know that the upper muscles, especially the forearm, was alot to take in during a 2 hour lab period. You may be wondering if you can handle another whole week of muscles. Well, the great thing is, now that you have been exposed to the material once, the second time around, the lower muscles won't seem that bad at all. You will be surprised when you see how much easier the lower muscles come just from having finished learning the upper muscles. I can promise you that!!! I had a chance to talk to a few of my students after the lower muscles lab, and they all agreed that the lower muscles were easier to grasp the first time than the upper muscles. So there is no need to fear! I know that all of you can master these terms with a little dedication and open lab attendence!

Well, now that I am done with my pep talk, here are some study tips and ways to remember all the terms for the lower muscles. Keep in mind the previous weeks study tips for the upper muscles and you will have so much fun in your studies this week!

Abdominal Wall
Linea Alba: Think of the albino(white) line running down the middle of the abdomen.
**Or a popular favorite...Jessica Alba has good abs.

Vertebral Column
Spinalis->Longissimus->Iliocostalis
Salt Lake International

Femur
Tensor faciae latae: there once was a girl who was tense into fashion and she held a latte in her hand while placing her hand on her hip.
**The hand of the hip part lets you know where in the body this muscle is.

Sartorius: notorius for being the longest muscle in the body.

Rectus Femoris: the term rectus means straight up and down.
**Take a moment in open lab to observe the up and down muscle fibers of the rectus femoris.

Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis and Vastus intermedius
**Alice's on the sides and us in the middle

Gracilis: When someone sitting next to you rubs the inside of your leg you can say gracias or no gracias. (you decide!)

Order of the inner thigh muscles from inferior to superior
Gracilis->Adductor Magnus->Adductor Longus->Adductor Brevis->Pectineus
**Great Major League Baseball Players

The Posteior Aspect (aka: The Bottom)
Gluteus Maximus->Gluteus Medius->Gluteus minimus->Piriformis->
Superior Gemellus->Obturator Internus->Inferior Gamellus-> Obturator Externus->Quadratus Femoris
**Gotta Gotta Gotta Pee G.O. G.O. Quickly

Hamstrings
Adductor Magnus and Semimembranosus
**If you eat M&M's they go straight to your inner thighs (medial)

Semitendinosus: It is the only hamstring muscle that has a long tendon. This tendon wraps around the medial side of the tibia and inserts medial to the tibial tuberosity(pes anserinus).

Biceps Femoris: The most lateral hamstring muscle and it has two heads.

Lower Leg
Plantaris and Soleus: plant your seeds in the soil
Popliteus: you pop your knee in (medial)
Calcaneal Tendon: Achilles' tendon

Lower Leg Story Rules
Digitorum: digits (toes)
Hallucis: big toe
Peroneus (fibularis): fibula
Tibialis: tibia
Extensor vs. Flexor (make sure you understand this well!!)

• Remember, it is similar to the hand. You will find the flexor leg muscles on the medial malleolus side and the extensor muscles on the lateral malleolus side.
• The Story begins with teh Tibialis Posterior and ends with the Tibialis Anterior.
• Tom, Dick and Harry are men and they meet at the medial malleolus.

Tibialis Posterior->Flexor Digitorum Longus->Flexor Hallucis Longus->Calcaneal Tendon->Peroneus Brevis->Peroneus Longus->Peroneus Tertius->Extensor Digitorum Longus->Extensor Hallucis Longus->Tibialis Anterior

**Tom, Dick and Harry went around the Calcaneal corner to get a Peroneus B.L.T. During Half Time.

Okay, I hope this helps in your studies this next week!!! Go to the open lab as often as time permits for you. You are almost done with the muscles but don't let them slip your head too fast. The lab midterm is in just a few weeks. If you feel comfortable with the terms for your lower muscles quiz, take a few minutes to review the bones and upper muscles. You will be so happy when you do. Happy Studying!!!

**Here is a random muscles fact for the week!!!

When walking down the street you use over 200 muscles. Challenge yourself and see if you can name a few.

The Muscular System: The Body's Powerhouse!!

Hello to all anatomy lovers!!! We just completed our last bones quiz and now we can say so long for a little while!! Yeah!!! We are off to bigger and better things; the muscles. It was quite the experience this past week having a first good look at the cadavers. Most my students would ask me, "How do you tell the muscles apart? They all look the same to me!" Well, as your TA I have a few tricks up my sleeve, most of which I am sure will be of great benefit to you. But let me be honest, I had the exact same thoughts cross my head when I first took the class too. So here are some things to remember when studying and learning the muscles:

1) Look for the muscles striations. When you do this you will be able to see the boundaries and tell how many muscles are in a certain area.

2) Pay attention to the muscle names. Most names give you lots of information regarding where the muscle is in the body. Here are a few examples:

Sternocleidomastoid: Tells you the origin and the insertion of the muscle all in its name. Originates on the sternum and clavicle and inserts behind the ear on the mastoid process.

Frontalis: Tells you which bone it sits on; the frontal bone.

Supraspinatus: Another muscle that tells you right where it is; the supraspinous fossa of the scapula.

Biceps Brachii: A few muscles on the arm have one or two heads. In open lab see if you can find the two heads of the biceps brachii. One goes to the supraglenoid tubercle and the other goes to the coracoid process. Both heads then join at the insertion which is the radial tuberosity of the radius bone.

These are just a few examples of some muscles that give hints as to where they are on the body. As you study, take a few moments to find a connection between where a muscle sits in the body and its name. You will be surprised how much faster you learn!

3) With regards to the forearm muscles, here are some things to always remember:
Longus = long tendon
Brevis = short tendon. Brevis muscles can usually be seen on both sides of the longus tendon.
Carpi = carpals (wrist). The term carpi always comes before radialis or ulnaris in the name. (example: extensor carpi ulnaris and flexor carpi radialis)
Digitorum = digits (fingers). These muscles can always be found in between the radialis and ulnaris muscles on the flexor and extensor sides of the forearm.
Pollicis = thumb
Ulnaris = ulna
Radialis = radius
Remember Extensor vs Flexor. Always remember that in anatomical position, extensor muscles will be on the posterior side and flexor muscles will be on the anterior side. (Review: Anterior means toward the front of the body and posterior means toward the back of the body. Anatomical position means that you are standing upright, your feet are parallel and flat on the floor, your head is level with your eyes facing forward, arms are at your sides with your palms facing anteriorly and your thumbs are pointing laterally or away from the body.)

Now here are a few fun mnemonics to help you in remembering all these muscles. If you think of any new ones or different ways to remember the names, let me know by leaving a blog post!

Epicranius
Galea Aponeurotica: Gay (happy) Ape scratches the top of his head
Corrugator Supercilii: An interrogator would eye you down while interviewing you

Circular Muscles: Orbit - Circular
Orbicularis oculi: oculi - eye
Orbicularis oris: oral - mouth

Muscles of the Neck
Semispinalis: semi spine (directly above spine)
**You can only semi see the semispinalis
Splenius capitis: location of receiving a splendid massage

Depressors
Depressor labii inferioris: frowning muscles; forms the rainbow under your lips
Depressor anguli oris: the triangular muscles at the corners of your mouth

Scapular Muscles
Rhomboids: resembles a rhombus
Serratus Anterior: think of the serrated edge of a saw
Latissiums dorsi: dorsal (posterior)

Upper Arm
Biceps brachii: two headed
Triceps brachii: three headed
Anconeus: resembles a cone
Brachioradialis: extends from the brachial region to the radial region

The 5 Member Family: Begins and ends with longus: longus, brevis, longus, brevis, longus
Extensor carpi radialis longus: tall twin
Extensor carpi radialis brevis: short twin
Abductor pollicis longus: awkward third child that gets abducted (only abductor)
Extensor pollicis brevis: extends the thumb
Extensor pollicis longus: extends the thumb

There you have it!! I hope these help for you quiz on the upper muscles. If you have any suggestions to make these posts better, please let me know. Happy studying!!!

The Skeletal System: The Framework of Our Bodies

A couple weeks have come and gone in the beautiful world of anatomy and students all over BYU have learned over 240 bones in the body. Wow that's a lot!!! Now the trick is, how do I remember all of these bones in preparation for the midterm? Well here is the trick...open lab, open lab and more open lab. It may seem tedious but that is the trick. As you go into the future weeks take some time to review the bones so they are sharp in your head. You will be much happier with your test results too! Lets not forget your mnemonic devices!!! You have been taught many ways in which to master all these bumps and holes that we call bones in the body. One of my personal favorites is the cowboy story, which is used to specify all those hard holes in the skull. For a refresher, here is how it works:

THE COWBOY STORY

Let's call our cowboy Turk (he sits on the SELLA TURCICA)
He will throw his lasso down the sides of his saddle (FORAMEN LACERUM)
He will look out through the OPTIC FORAMEN
He will look out over the valley to watch over his cattle (FORAMEN OVALE)
And it will be over that valley that he will round them up (FORAMEN ROTUNDUM)
For healthy snack he will take out a carrot which is behind his lasso (CAROTID CANAL)
And for a treat he will take out his jelly beans (JUGULAR FORAMEN)
At the end of a long days work he will spit and shine his shoes (FORAMEN SPINOSUM)

So there you have the bulk of all those mysterious holes in the skull. As you remember the cowboy story I guarantee you will never go wrong!!

Here are some other mnemonic devices you can use to review other bones:

1. Cervical Vertebrae: the anteater; only vertebrae with transverse foreman
2. Thoracic Vertebrae: the giraffe; vertebrae with the costal facet and demifacet
3. Lumbar Vertebrae: the moose; bulkiest members of the vertebrae with articular processes facing towards each other
**To remember how much of each vertebrae we have just think of the times you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. (7, 12 and 5)

4. Hand bones: Sally Left The Party To Take Clark Home

5. Foot Bones: Cal can Tell us about Cute boys in Navy Uniforms

Here are some ways to distinguish left and right bones:

6. Clavicle: Just think Connie down in the outback
7. Radius: Use the fist test
8. Ulna: Look for the radial notch and make sure it is facing laterally
9. Os Coxa: Use the phone test; if you can talk into it, you've got it on the right side!!
10. Patella: Lay it flat on the table with apex pointing away from you and look to which side it is leaning.
11. Tibia: Look for the medial malleolus and make sure it is MEDIAL.
12. Fibula: Use the walking test or my personal favorite the race care test

More fun and games to come!! Keep studying hard and in my future posts, I will include practice tests questions for the lecture portion of the anatomy class. Now here are your bone facts of the day...

**Humans are born with 300 bones in their body, however when a person reaches adulthood they only have 206 bones. This occurs because many of them join together to make a single bone...also your femur bone is stronger than concrete!!!

Happy Studying!!!!

Welcome to all who love anatomy!!!

Welcome, welcome to the human body experience. During the course of the next several weeks I will be doing a crash course in human anatomy. Many topics will range from the skeletal system all the way to the digestive and reproductive systems. Stay tuned for tips to succeed in your own classes, interesting facts, practice problems and ways to remember all the millions of terms you will learn. Anatomy is an experience that will change your life. It will give you a sense of wonder and overall appreciation for your own body. Happy studying!!!