a GUIDE TO 'DR.ROBSON'S APPROACH TO ANATOMY' (7 part ENCYCLOPEDIA SERIES)

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PART I
THE SKELETON (OSTEOLOGY)

The origins of Osteology (the study of the skeleton) are unknown. Celsus in the first century AD contributed considerably to the knowledge of the skeleton.
Julius Pollex, a contemporary of Galen, in his book ‘Onomasticon’ first used the word ‘trochanter’ meaning a bony knob like the one at the top of the femur. ​

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PART II
THE BACK

The back is the posterior part of the trunk. The back may be divided into three regions:
The dorsal (thoracic), the lumbar and the sacral. Above the back is limited by the vertebra prominens (C.7) and below, by the tip of the coccyx. 

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PART III
THE HEAD AND NECK AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

The Head
The head is the upper part of the body that contains and protects the brain and the organs of hearing, sight, smell and taste. 
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The Neck
The neck is the constricted part of the body which joins the head to the trunk. It is supported by the cervical vertebrae and it allows for the passageway of important structures between head and trunk. 

 The Nervous System
The nervous system is the most complicated mechanism in the body and the story of how it came to be understood is just as complicated. The brain and spinal cord constitute the central nervous system., along with the peripheral nervous system. This includes the autonomic                                 (vegetative) nervous system which is comprised of two parts; sympathetic and parasympathetic. 

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PART IV
THE UPPER LIMB

When we look at the upper limb we see it as made up of the pectoral girdle, composed of clavicle and scapula, upper arm (humerus) and forearm comprising of the radius and ulna. The hand is made up of the carpal bones, metacarpal bones and the phalanges.

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PART V
THE THORAX

The thorax consists of a conical cage of bone and cartilage. Its construction is composed of the 12 thoracic (dorsal) vertebrae, 24 ribs, the sternum and the costal cartilages. The thoracic cage is easily thought of as just protecting the heart, lungs and other major structures. The rib cage does much more by providing vital support as part of the skeleton and without it breathing would not be possible. ​

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PART VI
ABDOMEN AND PELVIS

‘Abdomen’  (Latin Abdere to hide)
The abdomen corresponds to the lower part of the trunk lying between the thorax and pelvis. It consists of a cavity (abdominal cavity) and is contained within the chief part of the gastrointestinal tract and organs of digestion such as the kidneys etc. It is separated by the diaphragm from the thoracic cavity above and communicates through the wide heart-shaped opening with  the cavity of the true pelvis. 

 Pelvis
Besides being composed of 4 bones, the pelvis is divided into 2 cavities; false and true. The former belongs to the abdominal cavity,  the latter is situated below the ilio-pectineal lines. The inlet in the normal pelvis is heart shaped. The pelvis provides a point for the attachment of the lower limb, it also serves to transmit  the weight of the body in both the standing and sitting positions. 

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PART VII
​THE LOWER LIMB

The lower limb shares many similarities with the upper limb. Not only is it connected to the trunk by a girdle (the pelvic girdle) but is also made up of 3 parts; 
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The proximal - the femur
The lower part - tibia and fibula
The foot -  tarsal bones, metatarsal bones and the phalanges

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