Individual anatomical structures — openings, nerves, vessels, muscles, and organs: locations, contents, structure, and clinical significance.
Anatomy
Anatomical structures
225 topics with concise reviews: definitions, key facts, and class questions.
Section Topics
Coccygeal vertebraevertebrae coccygeaeCostal grooveSulcus costaeMuscles of the extremitiesExtremity anatomy is inextricably linked to the study of topographic anIntervertebral discdiscus intervertebralisLesser palatine foraminaForamina palatina minoraStylomastoid foramenForamen stylomastoideumHypoglossal canalCanalis nervi hypoglossiCoronoid process of mandibleProcessus coronoideusBody of hyoid boneCorpus ossis hyoideiForamen lacerumforamen lacerumForamen magnumforamen magnumCribriform foraminaForamina cribrosaForamen caecum of skullForamen caecumSupraorbital notchIncisura supraorbitalisGroove for sigmoid sinusSulcus sinus sigmoideiChoanaechoanaeVomervomerMastoid foramenforamen mastoideumSphenopalatine foramenForamen sphenopalatinumZygomaticotemporal foramenForamen zygomaticotemporaleInternal acoustic meatusMeatus acusticus internusGroove for inferior petrosal sinusSulcus sinus petrosi inferiorisInfraorbital canalCanalis infraorbitalisSuperior orbital fissureFissura orbitalis superiorBody of mandibleCorpus mandibulaeForamen spinosumForamen spinosumGreater palatine canalCanalis palatinus majorPes anserinuspes anserinusInguinal ligamentlig. inguinaleOpponens digiti minimi musclem. opponens digiti minimiBiceps femoris musclem. biceps femorisTransversalis fasciafascia transversalisPalmar interossei musclesmm. interossei palmaresExtensor retinaculumretinaculum mm. extensorumInterosseous membrane of forearmmembrana interossea antebrachiiPosterior interosseous arterya. interossea posteriorPlantar aponeurosisaponeurosis plantarisExtensor pollicis brevis musclem. extensor pollicis brevisSemitendinosus musclem. semitendinosusLateral plantar nerven. plantaris lateralisCalcaneal tendontendo calcaneusThoracolumbar fasciafascia thoracolumbalisMedial plantar nerven. plantaris medialisPlantar archarcus plantarisIliotibial tracttractus iliotibialisSpinal ganglionGanglion spinaleCorona radiata of the brainThe corona radiata is a fan-shaped system of nerve fibersInternal capsule of the brainThe internal capsule is a massive layer of white matter locatedForamen ovaleForamen ovaleLeft coronary arterya. coronaria sinistraInferior pancreaticoduodenal arterya. pancreaticoduodenalis inferiorAbdominal aortapars abdominalis aortaeOccipital arterya. occipitalisSerratus anterior musclem. serratus anteriorSuperficial temporal arterya. temporalis superficialisLingual arterya. lingualisCarotid sinussinus caroticusSuperior thyroid arterya. thyroidea superiorAortic hiatus of diaphragmhiatus aorticusSplenic arterya. splenicaThoracic aortapars thoracica aortaeHepatic veinsvv. hepaticaeRight coronary arterya. coronaria dextraAnatomy of the thighThe thigh is the proximal segment of the lower extremity, containing majorSacrumThe sacrum (os sacrum) is a massive bone forming the posterior wall of the pelvMajor duodenal papillapapilla duodeni majorCommon hepatic ductductus hepaticus communisRima glottidisrima glottidisSchlemm's canalsinus venosus scleraeNephronnephronClivusClivusSemilunar valvesvalvulae semilunaresIrisirisPelvic nerveN. pelvicusSacral vertebraevertebrae sacralesDentindentinumExtensor pollicis longus musclem. extensor pollicis longusPalmaris longus musclem. palmaris longusExtensor digiti minimi musclem. extensor digiti minimiClavipectoral fasciafascia clavipectoralisFlexor hallucis brevis musclem. flexor hallucis brevisSupinator musclem. supinatorExtensor indicis musclem. extensor indicisBicipital aponeurosisaponeurosis m. bicipitis brachiiFlexor pollicis longus musclem. flexor pollicis longusAxillary nerven. axillarisSubclavius musclem. subclaviusFlexor digitorum profundus musclem. flexor digitorum profundusFlexor carpi ulnaris musclem. flexor carpi ulnarisMusculocutaneous nerven. musculocutaneusFlexor carpi radialis musclem. flexor carpi radialisExtensor digitorum musclem. extensor digitorumBrachialis musclem. brachialisMedial bicipital sulcussulcus bicipitalis medialisFlexor digitorum superficialis musclem. flexor digitorum superficialisFlexor retinaculumretinaculum mm. flexorumSubscapularis musclem. subscapularisAnterior interosseous arterya. interossea anteriorArticular capsuleCapsula articularisExtensor carpi radialis longus musclem. extensor carpi radialis longusAnconeus musclem. anconeusSaphenous openingfossa ovalis (femoris)Flexor digitorum brevis musclem. flexor digitorum brevisFemoral nerven. femoralisFascia latafascia lataCruropopliteal canalcanalis cruropopliteusSaphenous nerven. saphenusIliopsoas musclem. iliopsoasSartorius musclem. sartoriusDeep fibular nerven. peroneus profundusOblique popliteal ligamentlig. popliteum obliquumAdductor magnus musclem. adductor magnusTibialis posterior musclem. tibialis posteriorSuperficial fibular nerven. peroneus superficialisAdductor longus musclem. adductor longusSemimembranosus musclem. semimembranosusGracilis musclem. gracilisPectineus musclem. pectineusSoleus musclem. soleusRectus femoris musclem. rectus femorisFibularis longus musclem. peroneus longusAdductor hiatushiatus adductoriusLacunar ligamentlig. lacunareOccipitofrontalis musclem. occipitofrontalisSupraorbital marginMargo supraorbitalisLabyrinthine arterya. labyrinthiSphenopalatine arteryA. sphenopalatinaMiddle meningeal arterya. meningea mediaGlabellaGlabellaStyloglossus musclem. styloglossusOrbicularis oculi musclem. orbicularis oculiOrbicularis oris musclem. orbicularis orisPterygopalatine ganglionGanglion pterygopalatinumPalatine uvulauvula palatinaLateral pterygoid musclem. pterygoideus lateralisEpicranial aponeurosisgalea aponeuroticaParotid ductductus parotideusDigastric musclem. digastricusInterscalene spacespatium interscalenumHyoglossus musclem. hyoglossusAscending pharyngeal arterya. pharyngea ascendensArteries of the tongueThe main source of blood supply to the tongue is the lingual artery (a. Left main bronchusbronchus principalis sinisterOblique fissure of lungfissura obliquaBrachiocephalic trunktruncus brachiocephalicusEsophageal hiatushiatus oesophageusRight main bronchusbronchus principalis dexterVena caval openingforamen venae cavaeSpermatic cordfuniculus spermaticusSuperficial inguinal ringanulus inguinalis superficialisErector spinae musclem. erector spinaeCystic ductductus cysticusDuodenojejunal flexureflexura duodenojejunalisOmental foramenforamen omentale (epiploicum)Deep inguinal ringanulus inguinalis profundusPrevertebral ganglionprevertebral ganglionSuperior rectal arterya. rectalis superiorIschiocavernosus musclem. ischiocavernosusCentral tendoncentrum tendineumLevator ani musclem. levator aniExternal anal sphincterm. sphincter ani externusTrigone of urinary bladdertrigonum vesicaeCremaster musclem. cremasterSuperciliary archesArcus superciliaresCarotid bodyglomus caroticumRenal pyramidspyramides renalesRenal pelvispelvis renalisGallbladdervesica biliarisAbductor digiti minimi muscle (hand)m. abductor digiti minimi (manus)Guyon's canalcanalis ulnarisAnal canalcanalis analisSella turcicaSella turcicaLabial commissurescommissurae labiorumDental pulppulpa dentisCementumcementumEnamelenamelumMandibular foramenForamen mandibulaeLingual nerven. lingualisMandibular canalCanalis mandibulaeRamus of mandibleRamus mandibulaeInnervation of the teeth and jawsThe organs of the oral cavity and jaws receive sensory, motor, and auNasopalatine nerveN. nasopalatinusMental foramenForamen mentaleMaxillary tuberTuber maxillaeInfraorbital foramenForamen infraorbitalePeriodontiumperiodontiumMedial pterygoid musclem. pterygoideus medialisInfratemporal fossaFossa infratemporalisAlveolar process of maxillaProcessus alveolaris maxillaeTemporalis musclem. temporalisInferior nasal meatusMeatus nasi inferiorBody of maxillaCorpus maxillaeArticular tubercle of temporal boneTuberculum articulareMandibular fossaFossa mandibularisArticular discDiscus articularisHead of mandibleCaput mandibulaeCondylar process of mandibleProcessus condylarisPyramidal tractTractus pyramidalisVertebral canalcanalis vertebralisDetrusor musclem. detrusor vesicaeSubstantia nigraSubstantia nigraCiliary musclem. ciliarisChorda tympanichorda tympaniJugular foramenForamen jugulareSphincter pupillae musclem. sphincter pupillaeDilator pupillae musclem. dilatator pupillaeCiliary ganglionganglion ciliareCingulate gyrusgyrus cinguliGlobus pallidusGlobus pallidusCorpus striatumCorpus striatumPutamenPutamenCaudate nucleusNucleus caudatusPrecentral gyrusGyrus precentralisBroca's areaarea BrocaWernicke's areaarea WernickeBasilar arterya. basilarisPosterior cerebral arterya. cerebri posteriorPosterior inferior cerebellar arterya. cerebelli inferior posterior (PICA)Superior cerebellar arterya. cerebelli superiorAnterior communicating arterya. communicans anteriorAnterior spinal arterya. spinalis anteriorAnterior inferior cerebellar arterya. cerebelli inferior anterior (AICA)Corpus luteumcorpus luteumFontanelles of skullFonticuli craniiCervical canalcanalis cervicis uteri
Frequently asked questions for this section
How many vertebrae form the coccyx?
The coccyx consists of 2–5 fused rudimentary vertebrae. Osteology notes the fusion of 2–4 vertebrae (Co₁–Co₄), whereas obstetrical anatomy notes 4–5 vertebrae.
Is the costal groove present on all ribs?
No. The costal groove is absent on the 1st and 2nd ribs. It may be visible on the 11th rib; as a rule, it is absent on the 12th rib.
Which muscles form the anterior region of the thigh?
In the anterior femoral region (regio femoralis anterior) lie the quadriceps femoris and sartorius muscles.
What structures make up the intervertebral disc?
The intervertebral disc comprises an anulus fibrosus made of concentric layers of fibrocartilage and a nucleus pulposus, the remnant of the notochord. Dense connective tissue and adjacent hyaline cartilage plates may also be visible on the specimen.
In which bone are the lesser palatine foramina located?
They are located in the palatine bone (os palatinum), in the region of its pyramidal process.
Which bone does the stylomastoid foramen belong to?
It is located on the inferior surface of the petrous part (pyramid) of the temporal bone, between the styloid and mastoid processes.
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