On Thursday, Dr. Sierra Dawson from University of Oregon’s Human Physiology Dept. visited our class. She started class by asking each student to draw what they thought a human heart (anatomically) looks like. After about 10 minutes of drawing, we looked at each other’s sketches and discussed the various factors that influence our perception of the human body. In general, we found that medical images in textbooks and various types of media had the largest impacts on our ideas of human anatomy. What’s interesting about this finding, however, is that the amount of correct medical information conveyed by the media is very limited. The media utilizes lots of simplified diagrams and medical slang that derail the correct messages about anatomy. Even the seldom appearance of medically accurate information in the media (portrayed by some popular TV shows, such as Grey’s Anatomy), is conceptually altered by societal ideas about the human body. My sketch was able to show the main components of the human heart, yet also displays my initial lack of knowledge about the hearts detailed structure.
In a related conversation topic, we discussed whether or not the general public should have access to any and all information about human anatomy. My personal opinion, and the general consensus of the class, was that everyone should indeed have access to medical information – people should have the right to know and understand their own anatomy! A point of opposition that arose during this conversation was the supposed danger of allowing young children to access this information. As a response to this point of opposition, Dr. Dawson challenged us to question WHY this opinion arose.
After further discussion, we realized that people may be afraid to allow their children to access information about human anatomy because of the cultural myth that our anatomy is something to hide and be ashamed of. In general, adults in our society perpetuate this myth and pass it on to their kids. Children do not have inherent fear or shame regarding any parts of their bodies – this sense of shame is completely derived from societal expectations that are taught to children by their parents and the media. It is this cultural myth that provoked this point of opposition to the idea of providing universal access to medical information. I think it is very important to challenge the cultural construct that teaches people to associate shame with anatomy. If we are to actually achieve the level of higher consciousness that we associate with modern society, we must begin by promoting acceptance of people on such a fundamental level.
After these thought-provoking discussions, Dr. Dawson showed us a real cadaveric human heart that she brought from U of O’s Human Anatomy Lab! This was so exciting and fascinating. Not only did we get to observe it, we also had the opportunity to touch and hold it! While it was a little strange to hold a dead part of another person’s body, it was so interesting and informative. The ability to observe a real human organ is so different from any other way of learning about anatomy, and it is such a valuable tool for education. Through close examination of the heart and comparison to a plastic 3D model, I was able to learn so much about its structure. People often say that the human heart is the size of a fist. By observing the heart, I found that this is not a very accurate comparison. The ventricles (the muscular, bottom part of the heart) alone were about the size of a fist, and the atria and various “tubes” (aorta, veins, arteries) added significantly to the heart’s overall size.
Dr. Dawson continued to explain how the human heart functions, and mentioned that the heart’s veins and arteries branch out into smaller and smaller veins and arteries. The branching patterns created by the veins and arteries are actually fractal (once again displaying the ubiquity of fractals in the human body, and throughout the natural world)! Fractal patterns are one of the central components of my project – I plan to further connect this experience to my project through exploration of perspective and awareness. The social issue I chose to address is modern society’s dwindling ability to connect with the natural world. I hope to be able to use my experience in class to emphasize the importance of this primal connection.
