Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

Recent episodes

1. Angle of Louis (or sternal angle) from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jul 24, 2026

   The sternal angle is an important surface anatomy landmark of the chest, deep to which some major anatomical structures lie.

2. Synovial joint classifications from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jul 10, 2026

   Synovial joints are specialised for movement. The shapes of the articulating surfaces define what movements are allowed, and we can anatomically classify synovial joints by these shapes and by these movements. We have hinge, ball and socket, plane, saddle and condyloid synovial joints.

3. Anatomical types of joints from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jul 3, 2026

   Fibrous joints, cartilaginous joints and synovial joints. We can define them by what they are made of, and in turn, what they are made of tells us what movements they might allow.

4. Femur from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jun 26, 2026

   The biggest bone in the body. What pertinent anatomical features should you be aware of?

5. Ovaries from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jun 19, 2026

   What would I include if I only had 5 minutes to talk about the functional anatomy of the ovary?

6. Nerves in the inguinal canal from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jun 9, 2026

   What nerves run through the inguinal canal and are they at risk of injury during an inguinal hernia repair?

7. Hippocampus from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   Jun 5, 2026

   The hippocampus is part of the limbic system in the brain. What does that mean? What does it do? Where is it? In 5 minutes(ish)?

8. Oesophagus from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   May 29, 2026

   The oesophagus is a muscular tube linking the pharynx to the stomach. The muscles of the face and pharynx are skeletal and under somatic control, whereas the muscles of the stomach are smooth and autonomic. Where does this change happen?

9. Ossicles of the ear from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

   May 21, 2026

   Why do we have three tiny bones in each ear?

10. Stroke from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    May 8, 2026

    When we talk about "stroke" or a cerebrovascular event we're describing reduced blood flow to a region of the brain. What are the different types and how does this relate to our functional anatomical knowledge of the brain, brainstem and blood supply?

11. Trochlear nerve (CN IV) palsy from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    May 1, 2026

    The trochlear nerve (CN IV) has the single task of innervating the superior oblique muscle. Unfortunately the actions of this muscle on the eye are a little awkward to understand, so how is the eye affected if the trochlear nerve is injured?

12. Abducens nerve (CN VI) palsy from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Apr 24, 2026

    The abducens nerve is one of those lovely cranial nerves that only does one thing, making learning it nice and easy. But what happens when it is injured, and how can that knowledge be helpful?

13. Oculomotor nerve (CN III) palsy from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Apr 21, 2026

    What happens to the eye when the oculomotor nerve is injured or compressed? How can these signs and symptoms inform us about what might be happening inside the cranial cavity?

14. Pupillary light reflex from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Mar 27, 2026

    The pupillary light reflex can let you test the optic nerve, midbrain and oculomotor nerve just by shining a light into someone's eye. Let's talk about the anatomy and how this works.

15. External ear anatomy from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Mar 20, 2026

    Those folds and lumps of the external ear have all got names. Let's feel the concha, tragus, antitragus, helix, antihelix and opening of the external acoustic meatus together.

16. Acoustic reflex from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Mar 13, 2026

    The acoustic reflex is a mechanism that protects the ear from loud sounds. It is also called the stapedial reflex, middle-ear-muscle reflex and auditory reflex, among other names. What is the neuroanatomical pathway of this reflex, how does it work, how are the smallest bone and muscle in the body involved, and how can it be useful in determining problems with hearing?

17. Hypothalamus anatomy and functions from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Mar 6, 2026

    The hypothalamus, as its name suggests, lies in the brain inferior and anterior to the thalamus. It is a central structure in modulating many autonomic functions and homeostasis. What does that mean, and what does it do?

18. Fractured neck of femur anatomy from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Feb 20, 2026

    What do we mean by the neck of the femur and why do we worry (more than usual) about a fracture here?

19. Blood brain barrier from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Feb 13, 2026

    The blood brain barrier describes how the endothelial cells of the capillaries in the brain are tightly stuck together by tight junctions, wrapped in the feet of astrocytes and lined by a basement lamina. This stops most molecules from moving between the blood and the brain through any gaps. Instead, transporters are needed to transport molecules across the endothelial cells. Why does this happen in the brain? How does ethanol get to the brain?

20. Ventricular system of the brain from Dissectible Me 5 minute anatomy

    Feb 6, 2026

    The brain has spaces inside it, interconnected and filled with cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid is continually produced here and flows from chamber to chamber, sometimes through narrow passageways, until it leaves to surround the brain and spinal cord.