Human Anatomy Essentials: 300 Structures and Landmarks

Map 300 essential structures by location, relationship and function.

300 cardsLast updated 2026-08-16

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Anatomy sticks when a structure is tied to where it is, what borders or passes through it, and why that matters. These 300 cards cover anatomical language, the skeleton, joints, major muscles, neuroanatomy, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, head and neck, selected vessels and the major organs — a regional survey built around the structures a first course actually asks you to place. Each independently written answer pairs a concise identification with a spatial or functional anchor. Import it and the whole deck joins your spaced-repetition schedule. Structures you already know stretch out and drop out of sight; the ones that keep slipping come back until they stop slipping. What goes down is the number of structures you still don't know — not the time it takes to flip past 300 cards you mostly do.

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Showing 100 representative cards from the full 300-card deck.

Front	Back
Axial skeleton — what is it?	The part of the skeleton made up of the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum. It forms the body’s central support and protects the brain, spinal cord, and thoracic organs.
Diaphysis of a long bone — what is it?	The shaft or central tubular portion of a long bone. It is built mainly for strength and weight bearing, with a hollow medullary cavity in adults.
Metaphysis — what is it?	The flared region between the diaphysis and epiphysis of a long bone. In growing bones, it contains the epiphyseal plate region.
Articular cartilage — what is it?	Smooth hyaline cartilage that covers the joint surfaces of bones. It reduces friction and helps absorb compressive force in synovial joints.
Clavicle — what is it?	The collarbone; a curved bone between the sternum and scapula. It braces the shoulder and helps keep the upper limb away from the thorax.
Radius — what is it?	The lateral forearm bone in anatomical position, on the thumb side. It participates strongly in wrist motion and crosses over the ulna during pronation.
Metacarpals — what is it?	The five bones forming the palm of the hand. They connect the carpal bones to the phalanges and support grip and hand shape.
Femur — what is it?	The thigh bone and the longest bone in the body. It extends from the hip to the knee and bears major weight during standing and walking.
Tibia — what is it?	The larger, medial bone of the leg between knee and ankle. It is the main weight-bearing bone of the lower leg.
Metatarsals — what is it?	The five long bones of the midfoot that connect the tarsals to the toe phalanges. They help form the arches and support propulsion.
Vertebral column — what is it?	The spine, a column of vertebrae extending from skull base to pelvis. It supports the trunk, protects the spinal cord, and allows flexibility.
Intervertebral disc — what is it?	A fibrocartilaginous pad between adjacent vertebral bodies. It absorbs shock and permits limited movement between vertebrae.
Cartilaginous joint — what is it?	A joint where bones are connected by cartilage, allowing limited movement. Examples include the pubic symphysis and intervertebral discs.
Saddle joint — what is it?	A synovial joint with reciprocally concave and convex surfaces. It allows biaxial movement; the thumb carpometacarpal joint is the key example.
Glenohumeral joint — what is it?	The main shoulder joint between the head of the humerus and the glenoid cavity of the scapula. It is highly mobile but less inherently stable.
Deltoid — what is it?	The large triangular muscle covering the shoulder. It abducts the arm and also assists with flexion and extension depending on the fiber group.
Supraspinatus — what is it?	A rotator cuff muscle on the superior posterior scapula. It initiates arm abduction and helps stabilize the shoulder.
Biceps brachii — what is it?	An anterior arm muscle with two heads. It flexes the elbow and is a strong supinator of the forearm.
Brachialis — what is it?	A deep anterior arm muscle beneath the biceps brachii. It is a primary flexor of the elbow.
Pronator teres — what is it?	An anterior forearm muscle that turns the palm downward. It also helps flex the elbow.
Elbow joint — what is it?	The compound joint between humerus, ulna, and radius. It primarily allows flexion and extension, with forearm rotation occurring near it as well.
Carpometacarpal joint of the thumb — what is it?	The saddle joint between the trapezium and first metacarpal. It allows opposition, a key movement for precision grip.
Greater trochanter — what is it?	A large lateral projection on the proximal femur. It is a major attachment site for hip muscles and can be felt on the outside of the upper thigh.
Iliopsoas — what is it?	A deep hip flexor made up of the iliacus and psoas major. It is the main muscle group for flexing the hip.
Quadriceps femoris — what is it?	The major anterior thigh muscle group, including rectus femoris and the three vasti. It is the primary extensor of the knee.
Sartorius — what is it?	A long superficial muscle running obliquely across the thigh. It assists in hip flexion, abduction, and lateral rotation, and also helps flex the knee.
Tibial tuberosity — what is it?	A rough anterior prominence on the proximal tibia. It is the attachment site for the patellar tendon.
Achilles tendon — what is it?	The large tendon joining the calf muscles to the calcaneus. It transmits force for plantar flexion.
Talus — what is it?	A tarsal bone that sits above the calcaneus and receives the tibia and fibula at the ankle. It transmits body weight into the foot.
Lateral malleolus — what is it?	The bony prominence on the outer ankle formed by the distal fibula. It helps stabilize the ankle laterally.
Tibialis anterior — what is it?	A muscle on the front of the leg that dorsiflexes and inverts the foot. It is important for controlling foot placement during gait.
Anatomical position — what is it?	The standard reference posture: standing upright, facing forward, arms at the sides, palms facing forward, and feet pointing forward.
Lateral — what is it?	Farther from the midline. In anatomical position, the thumb lies lateral to the little finger.
Distal — what is it?	Farther from the trunk or point of attachment. The fingers are distal to the wrist.
Posterior — what is it?	Toward the back of the body. The scapula lies posterior to the ribs.
Inferior — what is it?	Toward the feet or lower part of the body. The pelvis is inferior to the abdomen.
Supination of the forearm — what is it?	Rotation that turns the palm anteriorly or upward in anatomical position. It places the radius and ulna parallel.
Extension at a joint — what is it?	A straightening movement that increases the angle between bones, such as straightening the elbow or knee.
Adduction — what is it?	Movement toward the body’s midline. At the shoulder or hip, it means bringing the limb back toward the trunk.
Trachea — what is it?	Midline airway tube extending from the larynx to the main bronchi; supported by C-shaped cartilaginous rings and conducts air to the lungs.
Left main bronchus — what is it?	Air passage from trachea to left lung; longer, narrower, and more horizontal because it passes under the aortic arch toward the left hilum.
Parietal pleura — what is it?	Outer pleural layer lining the thoracic wall, diaphragm, and mediastinum; forms the pleural cavity with a thin fluid film.
Pericardium — what is it?	Fibrous and serous sac surrounding the heart and the roots of the great vessels; anchors the heart and limits acute overexpansion.
Myocardium — what is it?	Thick muscular middle layer of the heart wall responsible for contraction and pumping blood.
Right ventricle — what is it?	Lower right heart chamber that pumps blood into the pulmonary trunk toward the lungs.
Left ventricle — what is it?	Thick-walled chamber that ejects blood into the aorta for systemic circulation; forms the apex of the heart.
Aortic valve — what is it?	Semilunar valve between the left ventricle and ascending aorta; prevents backflow into the ventricle during diastole.
Tricuspid valve — what is it?	Right atrioventricular valve between right atrium and right ventricle; has three cusps and is supported by chordae tendineae.
Papillary muscles — what is it?	Conical ventricular muscles that tense the chordae tendineae and stabilize the AV valves during systole.
Posterior interventricular sulcus — what is it?	External groove on the diaphragmatic surface between the ventricles; typically contains the posterior interventricular artery and the middle cardiac vein.
Pulmonary trunk — what is it?	Large vessel leaving the right ventricle before dividing into right and left pulmonary arteries; carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Left coronary artery — what is it?	Short arterial trunk from the left aortic sinus that usually divides into the anterior interventricular (LAD) and circumflex arteries, supplying most of the left atrium, left ventricle, and much of the interventricular septum.
Azygos vein — what is it?	Vein running along the right side of the vertebral column in the thorax; drains posterior thoracic wall and empties into the superior vena cava.
Oblique fissure of the lung — what is it?	Major fissure present in both lungs; it separates the inferior lobe from the superior lobe on the left and from the superior and middle lobes on the right.
Alveoli — what is it?	Microscopic air sacs where gas exchange occurs across the alveolar-capillary membrane.
Esophagus — what is it?	Muscular tube carrying food from pharynx to stomach; passes posterior to the trachea through the thorax and diaphragm.
Fundus of the stomach — what is it?	Superior dome-shaped part of the stomach, typically to the left of the esophageal entry.
Duodenum — what is it?	First part of the small intestine, C-shaped around the pancreatic head; receives bile and pancreatic secretions.
Ileocecal valve — what is it?	Junction between ileum and cecum that helps limit backflow from the large intestine into the small intestine.
Transverse colon — what is it?	Intraperitoneal segment of colon extending from the hepatic flexure to the splenic flexure, crossing the abdomen from right to left anterior to much of the small intestine and inferior to the liver and stomach.
Rectum — what is it?	Terminal part of the large intestine between the sigmoid colon and anal canal; it follows the curvature of the sacrum and serves as a temporary reservoir for feces.
Common bile duct — what is it?	Main duct carrying bile toward the duodenum after joining the common hepatic and cystic ducts.
Superior mesenteric artery — what is it?	Major abdominal artery supplying midgut structures including much of the small intestine and proximal large intestine.
Kidney — what is it?	Paired retroperitoneal organ that filters blood, regulates fluid and electrolytes, and produces urine.
Urinary bladder — what is it?	Expandable muscular reservoir in the pelvis that stores urine before voiding.
Urethra — what is it?	Terminal urinary passage from bladder to exterior; length and course differ markedly between sexes.
Ovary — what is it?	Paired female gonads typically located on the lateral wall of the true pelvis; they produce oocytes and secrete estrogen and progesterone.
Uterus — what is it?	Muscular hollow organ in the female pelvis where implantation and fetal development occur; situated between bladder and rectum.
Cervix of the uterus — what is it?	Lower narrow uterine segment that projects into the vagina and forms the cervical canal.
Labia minora — what is it?	Inner non-hair-bearing folds of the vulva that bound the vestibule; the urethral and vaginal openings lie within the vestibule.
Temporal bone — what is it?	Lateral skull bone that houses the structures of hearing and balance and includes the mastoid and styloid processes.
Ethmoid bone — what is it?	Light cranial bone between the orbits that contributes to the nasal septum, roof of the nasal cavity, and medial orbit.
Zygomatic bone — what is it?	The cheekbone; it forms the prominence of the face and contributes to the lateral wall and floor of the orbit.
Palatine bone — what is it?	Paired bones that contribute to the posterior hard palate, part of the nasal cavity, and a small portion of the orbit.
Pterygopalatine fossa — what is it?	Small deep facial space behind the maxilla that communicates with the orbit, nasal cavity, palate, and infratemporal region.
Mastoid process — what is it?	Conical projection of the temporal bone behind the ear; it serves as an attachment site for neck muscles.
Coronal suture — what is it?	Fibrous joint between the frontal bone and the parietal bones; it runs across the top of the skull.
Squamous suture — what is it?	Curved suture joining the temporal bone and parietal bone on the lateral skull.
Middle cranial fossa — what is it?	Central skull base depression containing the temporal lobes and the pituitary region.
Optic canal — what is it?	Opening in the sphenoid bone that transmits the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery to the orbit.
Foramen spinosum — what is it?	Small sphenoid opening posterior to foramen ovale that transmits the middle meningeal vessels.
Nasal septum — what is it?	Midline partition that divides the nasal cavity into right and left passages; it includes bone and cartilage components.
Palatine tonsil — what is it?	Lymphoid tissue in the lateral wall of the oropharynx between the palatal arches; it helps defend against inhaled and ingested pathogens.
Larynx — what is it?	Cartilaginous airway between pharynx and trachea that protects the lower airway and houses the vocal folds.
Carotid sheath — what is it?	Fascial compartment in the neck that encloses the common carotid artery below the carotid bifurcation, the internal carotid artery above it, the internal jugular vein, and the vagus nerve.
Hyoid bone — what is it?	U-shaped bone in the anterior neck that does not articulate with other bones; it anchors tongue and laryngeal muscles.
Cervical vertebrae — what is it?	Seven vertebrae forming the neck portion of the spine; they support the head and allow substantial neck motion.
Cervical spinal enlargement — what is it?	Widened spinal cord region containing increased neurons for upper-limb innervation; its segments contribute to the brachial plexus.
Filum terminale — what is it?	Thin fibrous extension of pia mater from the conus medullaris that helps anchor the spinal cord inferiorly.
Ventral root — what is it?	Anterior spinal nerve root carrying motor output away from the spinal cord.
Posterior horn — what is it?	Dorsal gray-matter region that receives and processes incoming sensory signals.
Cerebrum — what is it?	Largest part of the brain, responsible for conscious thought, voluntary movement, language, and higher sensory processing.
Parietal lobe — what is it?	Lobe behind the central sulcus that integrates touch, body position, and spatial awareness.
Insula — what is it?	Deep cortical region hidden within the lateral sulcus; it contributes to taste, visceral sensation, and integration of internal state.
Hypothalamus — what is it?	Control center below the thalamus that links the nervous and endocrine systems and regulates homeostasis.
Midbrain — what is it?	Upper brainstem region involved in visual and auditory reflexes and motor pathway relay.
Cerebellum — what is it?	Posterior hindbrain structure that coordinates movement, balance, posture, and motor learning.
Dura mater — what is it?	Tough outer meningeal layer; cranial dura is adherent to the inner skull, and spinal dura forms the outer dural sac around the spinal cord.
Lateral ventricle — what is it?	Paired CSF-filled cavity within each cerebral hemisphere that communicates with the third ventricle.
Coronoid process of the ulna — what is it?	The anterior projection on the proximal ulna that forms part of the elbow joint and fits into the coronoid fossa of the humerus during flexion.

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Yes. Every card carries a region tag — thorax, head, abdomen, upper limb, lower limb, brain, spinal cord, pelvis, neck, skeleton and joints — so you can filter to whichever region your course is on and leave the rest alone until you get there.

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Yes. It covers core regional and systems anatomy, including major bones, muscles, organs, vessels, peripheral nerves and central nervous system landmarks.

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Editorial method and sources

Memly's editors use the primary sources below to check scope and terminology, then independently write and review the cards.

MedlinePlus: Anatomy