Explore the Human Body in 3D at Visible Body
Recently, I've been teaching myself more about human anatomy and physiology so I can have a better idea of what teachers are talking about in dance and somatic classes.
An excellent online resource for exploring our skeleton, muscular and other systems is the Visible Body - I've included screen shots below that give you an idea of how you can explore the body with this 3D tool.
Visible Body only runs on a PC with Internet Explorer. My only other complaint is that the muscles of the torso are not delineated. I was really hoping to see a very detailed view of all the core muscles.
What would be great to see in the next version of Visible Body would be 3D simulations. In somatic education classes, teachers are often talking about breathing, the lungs and how the respiratory system works. I'd like to see this entire process in operation so I can see how the parts work together.
Finally, I'd like to explore the rotation of all of the joints. If I clicked on the shoulder, I'd like to then drag and turn the elbow or wrist to see what the full range of the arms were when pushed and twisted in different directions.
Here are some screen shots of Visible Body - click for larger images:
Opening screen for Visible Body:
Ilium bone of the pelvis highlighted in skeletal view:
Muscles of the head and chest:
Bottom view of respiratory system:
Multiple views of lower legs and feet:
Posted by
Doug Fox on July 15, 2008 8:20 AM
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