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Evolutionary Anthropology Sep 2021The announcement of a fossilized child's skull discovered in a quarry in 1924 sub-Saharan Africa might not have seemed destined to be a classic paper. This contribution... (Review)
Review
The announcement of a fossilized child's skull discovered in a quarry in 1924 sub-Saharan Africa might not have seemed destined to be a classic paper. This contribution focuses on anatomist Raymond Dart's 1925 paper in which he designated the Taungs skull the type specimen of Australopithecus africanus. We combine an account of Dart's training and experience, with a telling of the fossil's discovery, analysis, the initial response of a mostly skeptical community, and a review of subsequent discoveries that consolidated the case Dart made for a hitherto unknown human close relative. Dart's paper presented evidence that confirmed the prescience of Charles Darwin's prediction that Africa was the birthplace of modern humans. The Taungs skull's unique mix of great ape and human attributes eventually led to a paradigm shift in our understanding of human evolution.
Topics: Africa; Agriculture; Animals; Child; Fossils; Hominidae; Humans; Skull
PubMed: 34340258
DOI: 10.1002/evan.21917 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022Atherosclerosis has been known in medicine for several centuries. As early as 1755, the Swedish anatomist Albrecht von Haller used the term "atheroma" to describe... (Review)
Review
Atherosclerosis has been known in medicine for several centuries. As early as 1755, the Swedish anatomist Albrecht von Haller used the term "atheroma" to describe vascular lesions. Atherosclerosis may originate from an unbalanced diet or bad habits, and is mainly found in developed countries. Clinical trials have been conducted to establish the causes of atherosclerosis, and also to develop treatments for this disease. However, prevention of the disease has always been better than treatment, so vaccination may be the key to saving thousands of lives. The creation of a vaccine may be directly related to the study of autoimmune processes occurring in the body, immunity. This review considers the issues related to the involvement of the immune response in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Modern concepts of atherogenesis, immune inflammation in atherosclerosis, and potential vaccine targets are also discussed. There is a particular focus on experimental and clinical data supporting the development of immune therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Atherosclerosis; Drug Development; Humans; Vaccination
PubMed: 35269559
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052417 -
Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.) Nov 2023The pterygoideus proprius muscle can be found incidentally in the infratemporal fossa, where it is spatially associated with the muscles of mastication, the maxillary... (Review)
Review
The pterygoideus proprius muscle can be found incidentally in the infratemporal fossa, where it is spatially associated with the muscles of mastication, the maxillary artery, and the trigeminal nerve and its branches. Anatomists have described the muscle in various ways over the past 160 years, chiefly as a musculotendinous structure that originates from the infratemporal crest of the sphenoid bone and inserts into the lateral pterygoid plate and the lateral pterygoid muscle. It is present in non-human primates, albeit rarely, with similar anatomical findings. Embryologically, the pterygoideus proprius is thought to have developed from the first pharyngeal arch mesenchyme along with other muscles of mastication. Its close association with the maxillary artery and trigeminal nerve suggests possible clinical significance in trigeminal neuralgia and temporomandibular joint disorders. The literature was reviewed systematically to detail the historical background of research on the pterygoideus proprius muscle and explain its morphology, prevalence, embryology, and potential clinical significance. Despite its rarity, we propose that it is important to recognize its presence when the infratemporal fossa is approached.
PubMed: 37964709
DOI: 10.1002/ca.24121 -
Journal of Anatomy Jun 2022This article explores the history of the terms atlas and talus and discusses the unexpected implications of their use in human anatomy. Renaissance anatomists decided to...
This article explores the history of the terms atlas and talus and discusses the unexpected implications of their use in human anatomy. Renaissance anatomists decided to call the first cervical vertebra the atlas. But the name atlas was first used by the ancient Romans for the seventh cervical vertebra. The most common explanation why the first cervical vertebra is called atlas is that the vertebra holds up the globe of the cranium the way Atlas holds up the globe of the heavens. However, an important part of the myth of Atlas is that the Titan was being punished. The seventh cervical vertebra was so named due to its suitability for supporting burdens. (Pollux, 1900) Switching the designation atlas from the seventh to the first cervical vertebra in human anatomy implies that the point of man's burden has shifted from his shoulders to his head. What an anatomist is saying by making, or accepting, this change is that man's true burden is not a physical load, but rather, it is his mind. We explore the implications of this switch, and how it is represented in Renaissance anatomy diagrams. Long before the first cervical vertebra was called atlas it was known as the astragalus, the same term used for the talus, or ankle bone. We examine the many different terms that were used for the ankle bone during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as the connection of the term talus with Greek mythology.
Topics: Cervical Atlas; Cervical Vertebrae; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Talus
PubMed: 34914100
DOI: 10.1111/joa.13613 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Dec 2020Variant anatomy, which is an integral part of anatomical science, is related to abnormalities in the human body structure. Our understanding of variant anatomy is based... (Review)
Review
Variant anatomy, which is an integral part of anatomical science, is related to abnormalities in the human body structure. Our understanding of variant anatomy is based on thousand years of anatomical experience. These abnormalities generally do not interfere with the function of the human body and do not typically manifest as pathological nosological units. However, under certain conditions, these abnormalities can worsen existing pathological states or even evoke new ones. Understanding variant anatomy is a basic skill not only of mere anatomists, but also of clinicians who work in fields involving both diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions. To gain and retain a good knowledge of the most frequent and clinically relevant anatomical variations, a simple, clear, and exactly defined nomenclature of variant structures is needed. A list of items comprising variant anatomy, which have been incorporated into the internationally accepted nomenclatures (1998) and (2017), is described and analyzed. Examples of the most common anatomical variations related to terminology are mentioned, and variant anatomy as a whole and its role in understanding current anatomy are discussed.
PubMed: 33353179
DOI: 10.3390/medicina56120713 -
Journal of Pediatric Surgery Jul 2023The descent of the testis and the development of an inguinal hernia were the earliest published scientific work by John Hunter, the Scottish surgeon and anatomist who is... (Review)
Review
The descent of the testis and the development of an inguinal hernia were the earliest published scientific work by John Hunter, the Scottish surgeon and anatomist who is acknowledged as the father of scientific surgery. Hunter's anatomic descriptions are the ones we use today to describe the prenatal descent of the testis and to explain the pathogenesis of an undescended testis and inguinal hernia in infancy. His work appeared in print in 1762, not as a formal publication but as an addendum to a screed written by his older brother William publicly accusing Percival Pott of pirating John's observations on the pathogenesis of an inguinal hernia and publishing them as his own, an early example of scientific rivalry.
Topics: Male; Humans; Testis; Hernia, Inguinal; Cryptorchidism
PubMed: 37024415
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.03.005 -
Maedica Mar 2023Cadaveric dissection is a unique and unrivalled educational tool that allows students in medicine and associated life sciences to explore spatial three-dimensional...
Cadaveric dissection is a unique and unrivalled educational tool that allows students in medicine and associated life sciences to explore spatial three-dimensional anatomy, principles of structure and related function, and anatomical variations, including pathological alterations. Human tissue dissection enables researchers to comprehend the variety that exists in life that cannot be appreciated through the literature or artificial specimens. Using cadavers is the best way to simulate surgical and anatomical teaching. A cadaver has been shown to imitate surgical and anatomical training better than any other existing method. By the use of soft embalming approaches, cadavers have become more realistic and training-friendly. The main aim of this review is to describe various innovative and recent cadaver preservation techniques in detail, which can help anatomists to modify the techniques in their institute for gross anatomy teaching and surgical training or workshops to get a lifelike cadaver.
PubMed: 37266469
DOI: 10.26574/maedica.2023.18.1.127