Course Overview

Discover the fascinating structures and systems behind human movement in this comprehensive exploration of gross anatomy. Guided by an award-winning professor, you’ll examine bones, joints, muscles, and nerves that enable our daily motions – from subtle facial expressions to powerful athletic movements.

This 24-lecture course combines traditional anatomical study with cutting-edge digital cadaver technology (“Anatomage”) to reveal the body’s complex mechanics layer by layer.

Video Lectures

01: The Essential Language of Anatomy (34 min)

Learn anatomical terminology and directional references that form the foundation for understanding human movement.

02: Bones as the Body’s Framework of Movement (31 min)

Explore the skeletal system’s evolutionary origins and its crucial role in providing leverage for motion.

03: Joints: Structure Determines Function (33 min)

Examine different joint types – from immobile skull sutures to highly mobile synovial joints – and their supporting structures.

04: The Terminology of Movement Patterns (31 min)

Understand the six categories of synovial joints and their specific movement capabilities through detailed visualizations.

05: Muscles as Systems for Motion and Support (30 min)

Discover how skeletal muscles not only create movement but also maintain posture, generate heat, and regulate metabolism.

06: The Role of the Nervous System in Movement (30 min)

Learn how central and peripheral nervous systems coordinate muscle activity and process sensory feedback.

07: The Spine: Fundamentals of the Body’s Axis (31 min)

Explore the vertebral column’s structure and its vulnerabilities to pain and injury.

08: The Skeleton of the Head and Torso (30 min)

Examine skull sutures, rib cage variations, and subtle skeletal differences between sexes.

09: The Many Muscles of the Head and Neck (30 min)

Discover facial muscles that express emotion and neck muscles that control head movements.

10: Back Muscles: Layering and Movements (32 min)

Analyze the complex layered musculature of the back and its dual roles in movement and respiration.

11: Torso Muscles: Thoracic, Abdominal, and Pelvic (33 min)

Study core muscles including the unique respiratory diaphragm with its dual voluntary/involuntary control.

12: Digital Cadaver Lesson: Head, Neck, and Torso (32 min)

Use advanced digital dissection technology to explore axial anatomy layer by layer.

13: The Brachial Plexus of the Upper Limb (31 min)

Decipher the intricate nerve network that enables arm and hand function.

14: The Shoulder: Mobility versus Stability (32 min)

Evaluate the shoulder’s evolutionary adaptations and common injury mechanisms.

15: Shoulder to Elbow: The Anatomical Arm (32 min)

Examine the elbow’s three-joint complex and emergency blood access points in the arm.

16: The Complexity of the Forearm and Wrist (34 min)

Explore nearly 20 forearm muscles enabling thumb opposition and rotational movements.

17: The Hand and How It Works (32 min)

Appreciate the hand’s evolutionary significance and common conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.

18: Digital Cadaver Lesson: The Upper Limb (23 min)

Visualize upper extremity bones, joints, and muscles through digital dissection.

19: Nerve Plexuses of the Lower Limb (33 min)

Trace the lumbar and sacral plexuses including the body’s longest nerve – the sciatic.

20: The Multiplex Pelvis and Its Hip Joint (32 min)

Compare male and female pelvic anatomy and examine the multi-axial hip joint.

21: The Thigh: Our Largest Bone and Its Muscles (32 min)

Study the femur and powerful thigh muscles enabling hip and knee motion.

22: Knee to Ankle: The Anatomical Leg (34 min)

Analyze the knee’s complex ligament system and three leg muscle compartments.

23: The Features of Our Complicated Feet (32 min)

Discover why feet contain more intrinsic muscles than hands despite being less dexterous.

24: Digital Cadaver Lesson: The Lower Limb (29 min)

Complete your journey with a digital exploration of lower extremity anatomy.