To my surprise, I'm actually enjoying anatomy. Granted, it's a LOT of information. There's so much to learn, memorize, and identify- and it can get very frustrating trying to keep everything straight. But learning how the body works and moves is amazing! Each muscle has a purpose. Each muscle has a specific nerve that innervates it. The body is so adaptive that muscles can be bigger or smaller, or located and attached differently. Each cadaver is different from the next, yet the same basic concepts apply to all of them.
As a side note, it sort of bothers me when my professor makes an evolutionary remark. He'll say things like "this was adapted over many years" or use the term "vestigial" to refer to muscles/bones that are evolutionary remnants. This is a foreign concept to me since I believe that the human body was uniquely designed, has basically remained unchanged, and that every single part has a specific purpose (even if we don't know what it is yet!) As I learn more about the body, I become more certain that there is no way humans evolved. I wonder how other people (even highly intelligent professors) can believe that we did.
Still, I feel like I'm learning so much. It's pretty amazing to be able to look at a body and be able to identify all the nerves of the brachial plexus. Or to be able to give the innervation and myotome for every muscle (at least the ones we've learned so far). The best part about it is that it's useful information. I think that's what I like about anatomy the most. It has a functional and practical purpose. I'm actually going to use this stuff in the clinic someday!
I love anatomy and physiology too! I think that if I could get past the idea of a cadaver per se, I would enjoy looking at the inside of a human body. I'm glad you're not grossed out like you were worried you might be! Incidentally, when you approach a cadaver, do you have to strip the skin off, or is that already done? How whole is the cadaver when it gets to your dissecting table?
ReplyDeleteThe cadavers are pretty much untouched except for an incision for some embalming material. They are on special dissecting tables which drain the smell through a vent when the table is open. The faces are covered and we usually cover whatever part we're not working on at the time.
ReplyDeleteYes, we do have to cut through skin and fat to get to the muscle. That's actually my favorite part. Identifying the muscles and defining them is rather easy; it's finding the nerves and arteries that can be tricky. My least favorite part is when we have to turn the body over. It's an awkward maneuver and dead bodies are heavy!
Interesting! I asked a friend yesterday who's in chemistry and she said that cadavers usually don't have eyes--they rot away quickly. I was curious. :)
ReplyDeleteThe eyes are intact- I don't know if they've rotted yet because we've kept the face covered. We don't get to the head/face area until the last few weeks of class.
ReplyDelete