Small intestine
There is so much that we could talk about when looking at the anatomy of the small intestine, but if I only had 5 minutes what would I choose as the most important ideas?
May 23, 2025•6 min•Ep. 161
Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy
Welcome to dissectible me. Human anatomy in 5-minute chunks.
In this weekly podcast, we will cover everything from introductions to bodily systems, to some very focused but fascinating nuggets of anatomical knowledge. One rule, it must be covered in 5 minutes only! Whether you are a student exploring the content for the first time, a healthcare professional refreshing your anatomy knowledge, or someone with 5 minutes to kill, this podcast is suitable for anyone with an interest in the human body. So join us as we set the timer and rattle through the captivating microcosmos that is human anatomy.
Narrated by Sam Webster & Chris Summers
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Episodes
Axilla
The axilla is the armpit, and an anatomical space linking the torso with the upper limb. Let's define its borders so we better understand where it is and then we can talk briefly about the structures that we find passing through or residing in there.
May 09, 2025•6 min•Ep. 160
Hyoid bone
The anatomy of this slender U-shaped bone in the neck at the top of the larynx is crucial to the normal functions of the larynx and swallowing, but why?
May 02, 2025•7 min•Ep. 159
Parasympathetic nervous system
Squeezing in a little more detail about the parasympathetic nervous system I can talk about all of the cranial nerves that carry parasympathetic neurones, brainstem nuclei, the parasympathetic ganglia of the head and the functions of this division of the nervous system in about 5 minutes.
Apr 11, 2025•7 min•Ep. 158
Sympathetic nervous system
What are the most important points about the functional anatomy of the sympathetic nervous system? And what central nervous system structures drive the sympathetic nervous system? In 5ish minutes?
Apr 07, 2025•7 min•Ep. 157
What is the autonomic nervous system?
I'll try to describe what it is and its anatomy in a concise 5 minutes. Ish.
Mar 28, 2025•7 min•Ep. 156
Posterior triangle of the neck
We can use surface anatomy landmarks to define triangles in the neck to help us locate anatomical structures deep to the skin. Within the posterior triangle of the neck we can find the roots of the brachial plexus, the subclavian artery and vein, and most importantly the accessory nerve (CN XI).
Mar 17, 2025•6 min•Ep. 155
Anterior triangle of the neck
The anterior triangle of the neck is a region defined by surface anatomy landmarks that help you locate critical anatomical structures. Let's palpate together!
Mar 07, 2025•6 min•Ep. 154
Hip joint
The bones, ligaments and synovial bits of the hip joint between the acetabulum of the pelvis and the head of the femur.
Feb 21, 2025•7 min•Ep. 153
Lumbosacral plexus
The lumbosacral plexus is the anatomy of the low back and pelvis that forms the major nerves of the lower abdomen, pelvis and lower limb. It is not as susceptible to injury as the brachial plexus so clinically we understand the anatomy of this plexus a little differently, but it is important to be able to recall the spinal nerve roots of the major nerves here and the functions that will be lost if injured.
Feb 14, 2025•6 min•Ep. 152
Upper and lower motor neurones
Understanding the anatomy of upper and lower motor neurones can be very useful when trying to use the results of an examination, signs and symptoms to diagnose the location of a neurological lesion.
Feb 07, 2025•7 min•Ep. 151
Spinal tracts neuroanatomy
Spinal tracts are bundles of neuronal axons that run through the spinal cord and brainstem. If we think about how neurones work, how they are bundled together with similar functions, which direction the action potentials are running in and the names of these tracts, we can remember what they all do.
Jan 31, 2025•6 min•Ep. 150
Referred pain
Referred pain is felt at a different location in the body from the site that is causing the pain. There seems to be an anatomical reason for this and understanding the theories can help with diagnosis and patient care.
Jan 24, 2025•5 min•Ep. 149
Urethra
Talking about the anatomy of the urethra and better understanding why women get more urinary tract infections than men.
Jan 17, 2025•6 min•Ep. 148
Blood supply to the hand
The radial and ulnar arteries both supply blood to the hand and meet as two arches that send branches off to the fingers. This anatomy gives redundancy for the blood supply to the hand so let's talk about where these arteries run and how they branch.
Jan 10, 2025•6 min•Ep. 147
Thumb movements
The names of the movements of the thumb can be tricky to remember, but knowing the movements gives you the names of the muscles that cause these movements.
Dec 20, 2024•5 min•Ep. 146
Hand movements anatomy (wrist and fingers)
Relating the movements of the hand to the nerves responsible is an important clinical skill. Let's see if I can describe the movements of the wrist and fingers, and the nerves that trigger these movements in 5 minutes.
Dec 11, 2024•7 min•Ep. 145
Erection
The anatomy of erection of the clitoris and the penis is very similar and a rather neat mechanism involving the parasympathetic nervous system.
Dec 05, 2024•6 min•Ep. 144
Bronchial and pulmonary circulation in the lungs
Did you know that alongside the pulmonary arteries taking poorly oxygenated blood to the lungs run bronchial arteries carrying well oxygenated blood? Where do they come from, and where does this blood go to?
Nov 22, 2024•6 min•Ep. 143
Ureters
The ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, and are muscular tubes lined by a urothelium. They use peristaltic contractions to send the urine in the right direction so do not rely on gravity, and because they run from the mid-abdomen down to the true pelvis they receive a number of arterial branches as they travel and likewise use nerves from a number of spinal levels to send the pain of a kidney stone obstruction back to the brain.
Nov 15, 2024•7 min•Ep. 142
Kidneys
The kidneys manage the amount of water and salts in the body, regulate blood pressure, stimulate red blood cell synthesis, and remove toxins among other jobs. Let's talk about the key points of their anatomy for 5 minutes.
Nov 08, 2024•6 min•Ep. 141
The Clavicle
This episode explores the anatomy of the clavicle or collarbone, the smallest long bone in the human body. We’ll dive into its shape, size, joints, etymology, & muscular attachments. Ever wondered about the clavicles of a T. rex? By the end of this episode, you wonder no more!
Nov 01, 2024•6 min•Ep. 140
Breathing anatomy
The anatomy of breathing uses a number of muscles to change pressures inside the thorax and adds more muscles and more movements when we need more air. At rest you're just using your diaphragm and the elastic recoil of the lungs themselves, when you're a little more active and running around the intercostal muscles start to move the ribs, and when you really need to pull air in and push it out you can take advantage of accessory muscles of respiration that might not normally move the ribs....
Oct 25, 2024•6 min•Ep. 139
Cochlea and hearing
In this episode, we unravel the anatomy of the cochlea, the intricate organ that makes hearing possible. Discover how this tiny structure converts sound waves into electrical impulses, bridging the gap between the ear and the brain.
Oct 18, 2024•7 min•Ep. 138
Intercostal muscles
Three layers of intercostal muscles run between the ribs to form the thoracic wall, resist the pressure changes of respiration and move the ribs. What would happen if these muscles were not there?
Oct 11, 2024•7 min•Ep. 137
Lymph node anatomy
Lymph nodes are little bean shaped structures filled with the cells of the immune system and dotted around the body. Pathogens from skin injuries or that enter the body in other ways are passed to a lymph node and the cells here can respond. They are major parts of the immune system but metastatic cancer cells may also pass here, get stuck and continue to proliferate. This is important anatomy then, so let's quickly talk about it in around 5 minutes of podcast world time.
Oct 04, 2024•7 min•Ep. 136
Swallowing anatomy
Swallowing is a sequence of events that must occur in a well ordered manner to ensure food and drink goes to the oesophagus and not into the airway. What is this sequence and what cranial nerves do we need to worry about?
Sep 21, 2024•6 min•Ep. 135
Popliteal fossa
The popliteal fossa is posterior to the knee joint and in here we can find some major blood vessels and nerves. We will describe the boundaries of this fossa, the major structures that run through here, why this is useful clinical information and a couple of notes about remembering their names correctly.
Sep 13, 2024•8 min•Ep. 134
Astrocytes and brain tumours
Astrocytes are cells in the central nervous system crucial for supporting neurones and their function. A glioblastoma is a dangerous, rapidly growing type of brain tumour. Guess how they are linked.
Aug 09, 2024•7 min•Ep. 133
Nervous tissue
Neurones are the major cells of the nervous system, but how do they work, how are they arranged, and what are the other cells of the nervous system?
Aug 02, 2024•7 min•Ep. 132
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