Is the amygdala the fear centre of the brain? What's the anatomy here ..read more

The sinoatrial node is the pacemaker of the heart. Let's talk about it in a little more detail ..read more

The saphenous veins are superficial veins of the lower limbs. Why do they become varicose veins and why are they used in CABG surgery? What is CABG ..read more

The coeliac trunk is a branch of the aorta in the abdomen that supplies blood to the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and parts of the duodenum and oesophagus. It is important because its branches supply blood to important organs but also because stomach and duodenal ulcers can erode through these arteries and cause significant bleeding. The anatomy here is difficult to describe but let's try and describe the branches of the coeliac trunk and how they supply blood to the organs that they are reponsible for ..read more

The basal ganglia should be called the basal nuclei, and are also referred to as the corpus striatum. This demonstrates one of the problems with studying neuroanatomy as terms seem to overlap. Let's talk about what the basal ganglia are, what they do, some of this terminology and what they have to do with Parkinson's disease ..read more

The enteric nervous system describes the nerves of the gastrointestinal tract that autonomously regulate much of its function. Sometimes called the second brain it is a complex network of sensory inputs linked to motor outputs organised into two major plexuses running the entire length of the gut ..read more

The phrenic nerve is well known for its role in innervating the diaphragm and its roots in the C3, 4 and 5 spinal nerves. It also innervates the pericardium, is implicated in the runner's stitch pain and can be responsible for pain in the shoulder ..read more

The largest nerve in the body has many spinal nerve roots in the low back that are often the cause of pain in the lower limb. Let's quickly describe the anatomy of this huge nerve ..read more

One of the huge reasons that exercise and a good diet are so important is atherosclerosis. This pathology describes a change to the walls of arteries that can cause narrowing, rupture or blocking of an artery. If this occurs in an artery supplying blood to the heart or the brain this will probably cause death, and is a leading cause of death in western countries ..read more

It's the largest organ in the body (or on the body)? You can't live without it, it is an entire system of the body (the integumentary system), it is the major sensory organ, and it gets wrinkly as you get older. Skin ..read more