Frequently asked anatomy questions by students in this lab:
What is the calvaria (p. 33, Yokochi)?
The term calvaria translates to "cranial vault" and
includes the flat bones of the cranium (p. 148, Marieb).
Which rotator cuff muscle is most prone to injury?
The supraspinatus muscle is the
most involved tendon due the narrow space it must pass
through inferior to the acromion.
Why are they (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and
biceps femoris) called the "hamstrings"?
In olde English the word "hamm" means thigh. "String"
refers to the characteristic appearance and feel of the
tendons just above the back of the knee.
What is the function of the right and left auricles
of the atria?
An auricle is a region of very densely packed cardiac
muscle, which aides in atrial contraction.
What is the origin of the name
ostium?
Remember that the ostium is the passageway for the venous
blood of the coronary sinus to reach the right atrium.
Ostium is Latin, meaning a door, an opening, or an orifice.
What is the composition of the
chordae tendineae?
"...a branching network of avascular
tendinous chordae composed of collagen and elastin
fibres..." Millington-Sanders C et al. 1998.
What happens when a limb "falls asleep"?
This feeling, called neurapraxia, happens when a
major nerve is pinched against a hard object or bone. This
causes the harmless temporary sensation of numbness, but
the blood continues to flow normally. The loss of blood
flow to a limb rarely happens due to the anastomoses formed
around a joint.
What is the fate of sperm after a vasectomy?
They are broken down and absorbed by the
body using macrophages.