scholarly journals Accumulating fragments from our past to reveal the evolution of human form and function

2002 ◽  
Vol 266 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-137
Author(s):  
Jeffrey T. Laitman
Keyword(s):  
Human Form ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals Tensegrity Informed Observations in Human Cadaveric Studies - A Clinical Anatomists Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Sharkey
Keyword(s):  
Construction Materials ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Human Anatomy ◽  
Anatomical Location ◽  
Human Form ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Mechanical Models ◽  
Functional Operation ◽  
And Function ◽  
Pinned Joints

19th century anatomy took a systematic, uniform approach as efforts were made to give each anatomical structure a precise description. Concerning red contractile proteins observed within a gastor, descriptive words provided little or no information concerning the anatomy or physiology of such structures. Latin names were provided describing shape (i.e. trapezius), size (i.e. maximus), number (i.e. quadriceps) and anatomical location (i.e. posterior) but did little to inform learners concerning a global view of human form and function. Such a reductionist view concerning muscles was delineated by their assumed tendonous origin/insertion attachment to bone. Bespoke human dissections performed on embalmed cadavers, embracing a (bio)tensegrity focus, provides innovative insights concerning the topics of human anatomy, form and function. Such dissection shifts attention away from the solely mechanistic observations made since the time of Erasistratus (ca. 290 BC) and Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (1608-1679) which led to nebulous interpretations and isolated “parts”. Long held concepts such as muscle origins and insertions are not supported as factual evidenced by biotensegrity focused dissections. Borelli’s explanations of human movement, based on man-made objects, included wheels, clocks, watches and two-bar pinned joints. Mechanical models require construction materials such as 1st, 2nd and 3rd class levers, pulley systems with pins and screws for functional operation. Embryology does not require surgical intervention to attach an upper or lower limb, a liver, spleen or blood vessel. The embryo grows and develops such structures in a temporal sequalae orchestrated by the forces and the environment wherein it emerges. To-date it has been averred that the human body is a combination of ‘parts’ comprising of levers and pinned-joints. This observational-based report offers anatomically accurate cadaveric imagery supporting a paradigm shift in human anatomy moving towards a model dependent reality of continuity and wholeness, “Biotensegrity-Anatomy for the 21st century”.

scholarly journals A review of musculoskeletal modelling of human locomotion

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 20200060
Author(s):  
Adam D. Sylvester ◽  
Steven G. Lautzenheiser ◽  
Patricia Ann Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Inverse Dynamics ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Human Locomotion ◽  
Biological Anthropology ◽  
Human Form ◽  
Single Male ◽  
Musculoskeletal Modelling ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Musculoskeletal Models ◽  
And Function

Locomotion through the environment is important because movement provides access to key resources, including food, shelter and mates. Central to many locomotion-focused questions is the need to understand internal forces, particularly muscle forces and joint reactions. Musculoskeletal modelling, which typically harnesses the power of inverse dynamics, unites experimental data that are collected on living subjects with virtual models of their morphology. The inputs required for producing good musculoskeletal models include body geometry, muscle parameters, motion variables and ground reaction forces. This methodological approach is critically informed by both biological anthropology, with its focus on variation in human form and function, and mechanical engineering, with a focus on the application of Newtonian mechanics to current problems. Here, we demonstrate the application of a musculoskeletal modelling approach to human walking using the data of a single male subject. Furthermore, we discuss the decisions required to build the model, including how to customize the musculoskeletal model, and suggest cautions that both biological anthropologists and engineers who are interested in this topic should consider.

Reproduction and development

2012 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Endocrine Control ◽  
Human Form ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Sexual Characteristics ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
And Function

Reproduction and development are large topics, knowledge of which underpins several medical specialities including sexual health, fertility, gynaecology, urology, reproductive endocrinology, obstetrics, and neonatology. Doctors need to know the structure, function, and endocrine control of both male and female systems in order to diagnose and manage conditions specific to either male or female organs, as well as conditions such as impotence and infertility. Not surprisingly, the reproductive system is the only body system that shows major differences in both structure and function between males and females. However, sexual differences go beyond the primary sexual characteristics present at birth and the secondary sexual characteristics that emerge under the influence of sex hormones at puberty. Sexual dimorphism in some brain structures commences at an early age, and differences in the endocrine profiles of males and females produce characteristic changes in morphology, physiology, and behaviour that go beyond simple sexual dimorphism to affect many aspects of life, including sexual differences in susceptibility to disease and the longer life expectancy of women as compared to men that is seen around the world. Whether these differences, mainly beneficial to women, are because females are ‘biologically superior’ or because of a complex mix of genetic, behavioural, and social factors is a matter for discussion and research. Some knowledge of embryology is important to every medical student. As a minimum it provides explanations for the congenital malformations and their consequences that are encountered in many areas of clinical practice. Deeper knowledge will assist those seeking real insights into the structure of the human body. It is the study of embryological development and the knowledge of how each tissue type arises, how one tissue meets another, and how tissues move and change shape during development that explains the relations between tissues and organs in the adult human form. Achieving a full understanding of the dynamics of the formation of the body’s organs and tissues is demanding, but it can replace some of the rote learning of anatomical structures, familiar to many students, with a deeper understanding of form and function.

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) of DNA and RNA

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 34-35
Author(s):  
Patricia G. Arscott ◽  
Gil Lee ◽  
Victor A. Bloomfield ◽  
D. Fennell Evans
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Inorganic Materials ◽  
Resolving Power ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Calf Thymus ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

STM is one of the most promising techniques available for visualizing the fine details of biomolecular structure. It has been used to map the surface topography of inorganic materials in atomic dimensions, and thus has the resolving power not only to determine the conformation of small molecules but to distinguish site-specific features within a molecule. That level of detail is of critical importance in understanding the relationship between form and function in biological systems. The size, shape, and accessibility of molecular structures can be determined much more accurately by STM than by electron microscopy since no staining, shadowing or labeling with heavy metals is required, and there is no exposure to damaging radiation by electrons. Crystallography and most other physical techniques do not give information about individual molecules.We have obtained striking images of DNA and RNA, using calf thymus DNA and two synthetic polynucleotides, poly(dG-me5dC)·poly(dG-me5dC) and poly(rA)·poly(rU).

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