Anatomy 225: Course Overview, Terminology, and Study Strategy
Course Overview and Resources
Welcome and instructor info
Dr. Valerie O'Laughlin, who goes by Doctor O, hosts Anatomy A 225 (anatomy course).
There are two lecture sections; lecture UTAs (Brie, Sophie, Nora) will introduce themselves and share fun facts.
UTAs are free resources and will host interactive review sessions; schedule visible on the Canvas front page.
The wireless mic was glitchy; plan to use the current setup for the session.
UTAs, office hours, and interactive review sessions
Office hours are reframed as interactive review sessions to be less intimidating.
You can attend the 09:10 AM or the 10:25 AM lecture UTA interactive review sessions; room locations are tentative until formal approval.
Session locations are listed on the Canvas front page and are run by UTAs who’ve taken the course recently.
These sessions are free and intended for questions, quizzing, or collaborative study.
Extra credit and participation specifics
An extra credit opportunity: meet with lecture UTAs during at least one interactive review session and answer specific questions; complete a short paper to earn +1 extra credit point.
Extra credit is block-based; can only be used once per block, and must occur before the first block exam.
There are drop-in student hours and individual meeting times; no appointment needed for drop-ins.
Student access, contact, and scheduling options
Student drop-in hours in the designated room; you can stop by spontaneously.
Zoom office hours: Tuesdays from to in the Zoom room.
Booking page available for 20 or 30-minute appointments (face-to-face or Zoom); ensure your computer is set to the correct time zone (Eastern is the local zone; Indiana time can differ from your previous zone).
Time zone caution example: scheduling a 9:00 AM meeting may correspond to a different local time if your computer isn’t set to Eastern.
Collaboration and study strategies
Working with a partner is highly encouraged; introduce yourself to a classmate and exchange emails or phone numbers.
Form general study groups and schedule Zoom sessions if face-to-face times don’t align.
The instructor shares personal experiences to emphasize collaboration over isolation and reduce anxiety about exams.
The emphasis is on active learning (retrieval practice, discussion, and explaining concepts to others).
Course materials and navigation
The full syllabus is available; check Inscribe for questions and answers (Q&A) and a Frequently Asked Questions section.
Print or have the lecture notes accessible; expect prompts like Top Hat for either extra credit or interactive engagement (not attendance-based due to potential Wi-Fi issues).
Medical Sciences 100 (a 1-credit study-skills course) is offered with Anatomy A 225; both courses may be full, but instructors can advise on space.
Before Wednesday class, an online lecture with embedded questions must be watched; completing it earns lecture activity points.
The online lecture is due before 8:00 AM on Wednesday; there is a Wednesday session in which tissues and the integumentary system will be discussed.
Online lectures, pre-lectures, and Kaltura videos
Pre-lecture materials include embedded questions to quiz yourself; you can retry incorrect questions during the pre-lecture.
Kaltura video gallery hosts pre-lecture videos; after you complete the pre-lecture and PlayPosit activities, the video will be posted without questions for later review.
A recording of the 10:25 AM lecture will be posted for missed sessions or if the instructor speaks quickly.
Labs and lab location
Lab is in the Classroom Building, Third Street, across from Swain Hall and next to the Eye Center.
The Canvas course page includes a map to the lab location.
If you’re waitlisted, there is a small chance to get into the course if you’re among the top waitlist positions.
Weekly practice and retrieval-based learning
Each week (excluding exam weeks), there is an integrated practice question set.
Practice quizzes emphasize retrieval: more practice improves retention over time.
Quizzes are due every Monday at ; you can retake as many times as you like and the highest score counts toward your grade.
If you attempt the quiz by Friday and score at least on that attempt, you earn +1 extra credit point toward your grade.
You can drop one quiz; with quizzes total, the maximum extra credit from quizzes is points.
The intent is to encourage early and frequent practice; the instructor reframes “fail” as “first attempt at learning” to reduce fear of making mistakes.
Quiz questions are randomly drawn from a question bank; the exact quiz may vary between attempts.
Each quiz contains multiple-choice questions and fill-in-the-blank; minor spelling leniency is built into the fill-in-the-blank.
For short-answer lab exams, spelling needs to be close enough to be unambiguous; avoid creating new terms (e.g., blending tibia with fibula).
If you’re unsure about a pre-lecture question, you can retry the question during the pre-lecture period.
For back-up review, Kaltura videos will be posted after PlayPosit assignments; you can rewatch without embedded questions.
Terminology focus: anatomic position, planes, and directional terms
Anatomic position: standing upright, feet forward, toes pointing anteriorly; palms facing anteriorly; upper/lower limbs extended; gaze forward.
Practice: stand up and adopt the anatomic position; you will repeat this throughout the semester.
Planes of reference (Figure 1.5 in the text):
Midsagittal plane: divides body into equal left and right halves. The blue illustration shows the midsagittal plane; a generic sagittal plane divides into left and right halves (not necessarily equal).
Coronal (frontal) plane: divides body into anterior and posterior portions (lavender in the diagram).
Transverse (horizontal) plane: divides body into superior and inferior portions (blue box in the diagram).
Practical example: suture names along planes (e.g., coronal suture along the coronal plane).
Use of directional terms (Table 1.1 and Figure 1.7 in the eText): medial vs lateral; anterior vs posterior; superior vs inferior; proximal vs distal; etc.
Extra credit: locate the table and figure in the eText and submit a screenshot for an assignment.
Body regions and landmarks (anatomical terminology)
Axilla: armpit; axillary artery, axillary vein, and axillary nerve pass through this region.
Cephalic region: head; orbital region: eye; nasal region: nose; oral region: mouth; mental region: chin; mental protuberance: chin bump.
Frontal region: forehead; frontal bone located within this region.
Occipital region: back of the head; occipital bone.
Cervical region: neck; cervical vertebrae; note that “cervix” also refers to the uterus neck.
Thoracic region: chest; diaphragm separates thoracic from abdominal regions; thoracic region is subdivided by diaphragmatic boundary.
Pectoral region: upper chest; pectoralis major and minor are muscles in this region; mammary region contains the breast; mammary region varies with testosterone/estrogen levels.
Sternal region: middle of the pectoral region; sternum is located here; sternal region lies between left and right pectoral regions.
Axillary region (again): armpit; defined for multiple references.
Diaphragm: dome-shaped muscle separating thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity.
Abdominal region: upper part of the abdominal area; abdominal cavity houses digestive organs; inferior to the diaphragm.
Pelvic region: inferior portion between the hip bones; houses internal reproductive organs and urinary bladder.
Upper limb terms (proximal to distal): deltoid region (deltoid muscle covers the shoulder); brachial region (between shoulder and elbow); antecubital or cubital region (elbow area; common site for venous access).
Antebrachial region: forearm (between elbow and wrist).
Carpal region: wrist; eight carpal bones.
Palmar region: palm (anterior/ventral surface of the hand).
Dorsum: back of the hand.
Lower limb terms (proximal to distal): femoral region (thigh; femur bone).
Patellar region: knee; patella (kneecap).
Popliteal region: posterior knee, behind the knee; contains the popliteal artery and vein.
Crural region (noted as “curl” in the demo): region between knee and ankle.
Pedal region: foot; plantar region (sole) vs. dorsal region (top of the foot).
In anatomical position: the palmar aspect faces anteriorly, while the dorsum faces posteriorly.
Embryology mnemonic (interactive cue): “If something doesn't make sense, we blame embryology” to rationalize comparative anatomy.
Interactive learning activities (in-class exercises)
Simon Says exercise to locate body regions on oneself and reinforce memory:
Example prompts: mental region (chin), occipital region (back of head), patellar region (knee), femoral region (thigh), antebrachial region (forearm), sternal region, axillary region.
The activity helps students memorize terminology through kinesthetic learning.
Body cavities and serous membranes
Body cavities: enclosed spaces within the body that house organs with related functions.
Cranial cavity: within the skull; houses the brain.
Vertebral canal: spinal cord space formed by stacked vertebrae.
Thoracic cavity (above the diaphragm): subdivided into left and right pleural cavities (lungs), mediastinum (between the lungs), and pericardial cavity (around the heart).
Pleura refers to the lungs; pericardium refers to the heart (cardium = heart).
Abdominopelvic cavity (below the diaphragm): subdivided into the abdominal cavity (digestive organs) and the pelvic cavity (internal reproductive organs and urinary bladder).
Relative positions: the pericardial cavity is medial to the pleural cavities.
Serous membranes and their roles will be discussed further in a later session (Wednesday).
Quick takeaways and study tips
Use your own body as a learning tool (point to regions while studying).
Practice retrieval: fill-in-the-blank and quick quizzes help solidify memory.
Expect that not all material will be covered in a single class; use posted outlines and notes for review.
Be mindful of time zones when scheduling tutoring or office hours; Eastern time is used in class announcements.
Expect to stand up and reposition during quizzes and in-lab practice; this is intentional to reinforce anatomy concepts.
Quick reference: key formulas and numerical references used in this course
Extra credit and assessment numbers:
Extra credit point for attending at least one interactive review session and completing a paper: point.
Optional cumulative final: may replace any single block exam grade; requires good-faith performance (roughly to as a threshold; see syllabus for details).
Quizzes: total; drop one; the highest quiz score counts toward grade; maximum extra credit from quizzes is points.
Quizzes due weekly: ; early attempts can yield an extra credit point if the score is at least on any Friday attempt.
Pre-lecture online activity deadline: due before on Wednesday.
Lab waitlist entry: top waitlist positions may gain entry depending on space.
Syllabus access and questions
Syllabus should be your first reference for course policies and logistics.
Use Inscribe to post questions and view common questions from classmates.
The instructor will review the 30,000-foot overview at the start of each class and will acknowledge topics that may be covered in that session.
Closing note
The instructor plans to finish outlining terminology and will continue with serous membranes on the following Wednesday.