Branches of Thoracic Aorta

This was was again submitted by Keshav Acharya. Thank you so much Keshav!
Branches of Thoracic Aorta. Remember that sales of PEPSi Multinational Beverage Sales goes down
Postintercostal,
Esophageal,
Pericardial,
Subcostal,
Mediastinal,
Bronchial,
Superior phrenic
(goes down means descends)

Bones of the body

I cannot help sharing this wonderful picture mnemonic to remember the names of bones of our body (from my Facebook friends.

Corticospinal tracts in 3D

Have a glimpse of 3D corticospinal tract as seen in "Axiom Neuro", a new interactive functional atlas for neuroanatomy and neurology that gives users an up-close, detailed view of 13 spinal cord and brainstem nerve pathways. Also included in the software are all 12 cranial nerves and 10 virtual patient cases that use animation to teach signs and symptoms fo some common neurological pathologies such as stroke, diabetes and head trauma. Visit http://www.brainwashedsoftware.com/ to download the free demo.

Remember the Spinal levels of the sacral plexus branches : Video mnemonic

Posterior relations of the kidney

Many thanks to Keshav Acharya for sending this mnemonic.
Remember the posterior relations of the kidney with the mnemonic LM(N)OPQRST:
Lateral arcuate ligament,
Medial arcuate lig,
    (Nothing - Take a break :-)),
Psoas major,
Quadratus lumborum,
Rocky means diaphragm as diaphragm is like rock,
Subcoastal vessels,
Transverse abdominis.

Action of medial and lateral pterygoid muscles

Medial pterygoid closes your mouth - When you say "M" you have to close your mouth.
Lateral pterygoid opens your mouth - When you say "L" you have to open your mouth.

How to use your computer to study Anatomy : Dissection softwares

3D visualisation makes things very simple. A 3D is worth 3,000 words :-). So get hold of such a software as this while you study anatomy. Anatomy clearly requiresv a good spacial oriental to grasp the subject.
See this video here to know what I mean.
Take your anatomy textbook, read a topic and see the actual orientation using this customisable 3D view software. This software can be accessed online at a subscription fee. However, this is not thev only software out there.
Adams interactive anatomy  and Direct anatomy are alternatives.
If you want to get true anatomy pictures, here's a FREE ONLINE ANATOMY DISSECTOR site which gives step by step dissection as you do in your first year.
Well, if you want frog / cat / rat / cockroach dissections, try this website or get links of lots of biology dissections HERE.
To watch VIDEOS OF DISSECTION CLICK HERE (You need to install quicktime player).

Cranial nerves - Sensory, motor and mixed

This mnemonic must have come earlier in this post, but I thought that this subject has numerous mnemonics to it's credit including a lot of obscene ones. For sake of completion, let me include something different.

Remember OOOTTA-FAG-VAH for the cranial nerves in order:

1. Olfactory
2. Optic
3. Occulomotor
4. Trochlear
5. Trigeminal
6. Abducens
7. Facial
8. Auditory 
9. Glossopharangeal
10. Vagus
11. Accessory spinal
12. Hypoglossal 

Notes: To remember the first three OOOs, also remeber LPC (?Little PC) to remember the second letters of OLfactory, OPtic and OCculomotor in that order. Next, the TT - remember 0 & 1 which look like tr0chlear & tr1geminal (0 comes before 1). When somebody asks you which is the 10th cranial nerve, be quick to respond 10 / 2 = 5 = V (Roman) for Vagus
The mnemonics to remember the types of cranial nerves:
Some Say Money Matters, But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More
S = Sensory, M = Motor, B = Both (sensory + motor)
(The first letters of the sentence gives you the property of each of the cranial nerves in order - So, Olfactory is Sensory, Optic is Sensory, Occulomotor is motor..... and so on)

Online anatomy software : Direct anatomy

Here's something that will help you remember better instead of idling your time in online surfing - An online interactive anatomy software! Visit this site HERE.

Body song video

The Body Song uses a kind of lecture form of text utilising medical terminology concerned with the horizon of bodily interiority. This treats the body as a kind of tube through which the nomenclature wanders, territorialising the body into zones of disembodied light (the Eye) and corporeal-but-sanitised filth (the digestive tract). The visuals present a kind of medical lecture in which the orator is eventually subsumed within and excreted from the interior of the corpus being illustrated.

Note: This was the 'blurb' from the "Liminal" interactive CD-ROM (2000). The video was made on a Mac in c.1997-8, using 3D animation and compositing, with footage shot in St. Petersburg, Russia. The music was composed by Glenn Rogers, performed by Alistair Foote, Penelope Reynolds and Samantha Podeu. Audio production by Alistair Dudfield. © Peter Morse 1997.

Nerve supply of Laryngeal muscles

Remember "Brian LARa has enough world RECords, so he does not want more CRICket"
The fact to remember is " All muscles of LARynx are supplied by RECcurent laryngeal nerve except the CRICothyroid"

Location of Scaphoid on Palm

The Scaphoid can be approximately located on palm by flexing the fingers, as in this position the fingers point to the Scaphoid. See picture below.

Auscultatory areas

Thanks to anonymous reader for correcting a major error in this post.
Auscultatory areas starting from left 2nd intercostal space:
Remember: All Patients Take Medicines
Aortic - Pulmonary - Tricuspid - Mitral
Note:

• Only Aortic area is on right ; Remember that All stands for aortic area - read as Aortic ll (Second) ; Because it's in 2nd IC space !
• If you want to remember the other intercostal spaces where the auscultatory areas on left are situated just remember " Lot no.245 " - Left 2, 4, 5 IC spaces in that order for Pulmonary, Tricuspid, Mitral in that order of All Patients Take Medicine.
• Confusion buster: Please note that Aorta arises from left ventricle, but auscultatory area is on right side. Note the same problem with Pulmonary artery.
• Also check our older posts - Aorta and IVC : left or right ? 

Muscles of leg : Song video

A song with video will help you remember the key muscles of lower limb.

Bone & Cartilage - Collagen types

• bONE is made of type ONE collagen; Alternatively see the picture of bone which looks like '1'

• CARTilage is made of type two collagen. See the picture of cart with '2' inside the cart. Alternatively remember carTWOlage
• Still if you find it confusing remember B of bone comes before C of cartilage; B-1, C-2. 

Structures behind medial malleolus

Structures that pass behind medial malleolus deep to flexor retinaculum (From anterior to posterior):
Remember: Tall Doctors Are Never Hungry.
Tibialis posterior,
flexor Digitorum longus,
posterior tibial Artery,
tibial Nerve,
flexor Hallucis longus tendon

NB: Please note that a correction has been made to this blog on 16-12-2009. The mistake was pointed out by G. Murray. Thank you Murray. 

Subunits of Brachial Plexus

Remember Rajasthan Transport Development Corporation Board (RTDCB):
Roots join to form Trunks
Trunks join to form Divisions
Divisions join to form Cords
Cords join to form Branches
Branches

Alternatively, remember Real Teenagers Drink Cold Beer

Other alternative mnemonics sent by Mr. Frank Hopkins made with his mnemonic generating software:

Uses 1st Two Letters of Each Term
Romanian Troops Diverted Combat Brigade
Round Trembling Divas Cold Breasts

Uses 1st Letters Only
Real Tight Dollar Closed Banks
Raining Twenty Days Collapsed Bridge
Real Tequila Drinker Charlie Boozer
Remember That Dudes Chick's Bootie
Raise The Dead Crying Behold!!! (This has a more religious tone to it)
 

How bones got their names

Many of the medical names are derived from latin. If you study a bit of latin or greek you will find medical terms getting simpler. Below is a picture depicting how few bones got their names (Starting from the first picture row wise):

• ACETABULAM 

In Latin, acetum = vinegar and -bulum, a suffix signifying the instrument. Acetabulum was thought to resemble a small vinegar cruet of roman times.

• TIBIA

In Latin means a flute. Yes, a tibia after removal of external fixators looks like a flute :-)

• PATELLA

In Latin means a little plate. So next time have food in a big patella !

• SKULL

In Anglo Saxon means a bowl. Eat brain from the bowl !

• OLECRANON

In Greek, olenokranon, from olene = elbow and kranos = helmet. In other words, the protector of the elbow. Elbow's helmet !

• COCCYX

In Greek, kokkyx = cuckoo. This bone looks like the beak of a cuckoo. Huh?

• PELVIS

In Latin, pelvis means basin.

• CLAVICLE

In Latin, clavicula, diminutive of clavis = a key. Clavicle resembled those old keys. Anyway, don't use your clavicle to open your door :-)

 

If you want to study the origin of more medical terms try these websites:

1. http://www.eet.unsw.edu.au/~timm/GreekLatin.html
2. http://www.emory.edu/ANATOMY/AnatomyManual/Etymology.html

Atrioventricular Valves

tRIcuspid valve is in RIght atrium
Bicuspid valve in Left atrium ( Remember BiLe)
Bicuspid valve is also called MitraL valve. So mitraL is on Left
If you know what is a "mitre", then you can easily remember that bicuspid valve is mitral. "Mitre" is the hat that you see often worn by bishops. It has 2 leafs resembling the cusps. See picture below.

               

• Alternatively, imagine a RAT in LAB; Right Atrium Tricuspid, Left Atrium Bicuspid.

• If you know Hindi, remember DoMitr (Two friends) Bicuspid valve = Mitral valve by  

Aorta and IVC - left or right?

Anatomy was very confusing, especially relative position of structures. One constant confuser was the position of Aorta and Venacava as they descend into thorax.
I remembered that the AoRTa is RighT .
Here's another way to remember : Both a-o-r-t-a and r-i-g-h-t have 5 letters; v-e-n-a and c-a-v-a and l-e-f-t have 4 letters.