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Fun Fact – vetebra prominens

vertebra-prominens

Anatomy def: prominent spine of seventh cervical vertebrae at base of neck.

Outlander def: wee bonny bone at back of the neck; perfect for Jamie’s caresses.

Learn about vertebra prominens in Anatomy Lesson #12, “Claire’s Neck” or “The Ivory Tower.”

Read about Claire’s neck in Outlander book…Jamie has a fondness for Claire’s neck:

But Jamie was not quite finished…ignoring Dougal’s fuming, he drew a short string of white beads from his sporran. He stepped forward and fastened the necklace around my neck. Looking down, I could see it was a string of small baroque pearls, those irregularly shaped productions of freshwater mussels, interspersed with tiny pierced-work gold roundels. Smaller pearls dangled from the gold beads. “They’re only Scotch pearls,” he said, apologetically, “but they look bonny on you.” His fingers lingered a moment on my neck.

and again…..

“Aye,” he said thoughtfully. “There may be. That’s why Dougal waited up for me; he’s had some news.” “Really? What sort?” I turned my head to look up at him again; the movement brought my ear within reach of his fingers, and he began to stroke lightly around it, making me want to arch my neck and purr like a cat. I repressed the impulse, though, in favor of finding out what he meant to do.

See Claire’s vertebra prominens as she ponders Davie Beaton’s recipe for headache “take ye one ball of horse dung”….Ugh! (Starz episode 103, The Way Out).

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Fun Fact – risorius

risorius

Anatomy def: narrow band of muscle fibers arising from the fascia over each masseter muscle, inserting into tissues at the corners of the mouth, and acting to retract the angles of the mouth.

Outlander def: paired, strong muscles pulling back the corners of the mouth as in a grin, or a grimace to menace wary victims!

Learn about the risorius muscle in Anatomy Lesson #13: “Frank and BJR” or “Face Off.”

Read about BRJ’s face in Outlander book:

Whatever this man’s cousin looked like, the man himself might have been Frank’s brother. There was the same lithe, spare build and fine-drawn bones; the same chiseled lines of the face; the level brows and wide hazel eyes; and the same dark hair, curved smooth across the brow. But this man’s hair was long, tied back from his face with a leather thong. And the gypsy skin showed the deep-baked tan of months, no, years, of exposure to the weather, not the light golden color Frank’s had attained during our Scottish holiday.

See BJR’s risorii muscles in action as he glowers at Claire (Starz episode 101, Sassenach)!

Risorii muscles are likely the bases for the vertical skin creases commented upon in a recent interview with Tobias Menzies.

And, for the truly dedicated, the December 2015 issue of Smithsonian showcases an interesting article “Face to Face” (pp. 46-51) about software being developed to decode facial expressions and change the way we interact with our devices and each other. No more emoticons?  Gasp!

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Fun Fact – urinate

urinate

Scientific def: to discharge urine from the body (to micturate)

Outlander def: Act of peeing with your godfather el fresco!

Learn about urination in…Well, I haven’t actually written an Anatomy Lesson about the urinary bladder, the organ that stores urine and contracts during urination. The closest I can come to the topic at at this point are Anatomy Lesson #8, “Jamie Takes a Beating and Claire’s Healing Touch,” and Anatomy Lesson #15, “Crouching Grants – Hidden Dagger”; these lessons introduce the kidneys, organs that produce urine.

In the meantime, here’s a wee (Ha, ha) lesson on urination to contemplate: do ye ken it takes 21 seconds for most mammals to urinate? Yep! A researcher and his colleagues were awarded a 2015 Ig Nobel prize** for this finding. Such research may seem frivolous, but it could lead to an early medical diagnostic tool for men. If the time to empty the urinary bladder exceeds established urination times, a prostate exam may be in order (New Scientist, 31 October 2015).

Read about Claire’s need to urinate while interrogated by BJR at Fort William. From Outlander book:

The tension was slightly relieved by the entrance of an orderly, bearing a tray of tea things. Still silent, Randall poured out and offered me a cup. We sipped some more. “Don’t tell me,” I said finally. “Let me guess. It’s a new form of persuasion you’ve invented—torture by bladder. You ply me with drinkables until I promise to tell you anything in exchange for five minutes with a chamber pot.” He was so taken by surprise that he actually laughed.

Or where Jenny Murray’s new daughter baptizes her father’s shirt (Outlander book):

“Hello, wee Maggie,” he whispered, touching the tiny button of a nose with one fingertip. His new daughter, unimpressed by the introduction, closed her eyes in concentration, stiffened, and urinated on her father’s shirt.

See Jamie and Murtagh pee on the walls of Castle Leoch in Starz, episode 109, The Reckoning! Yep, these BFFs formulate and celebrate as they urinate and consecrate Colum’s real estate! Do ye ken there are 444 English words that rhyme with urinate? Hee, hee!

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

** Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, and then THINK. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology.