Resources for Studying "The Bones"

This week begins a period of study in A&P I lab that will last for several weeks.  We are beginning to learn the bones and bone markings of the skeletal system.  Here are some resources to help you with your study.

Print Resources:

Likely students will start with the textbook as a source of information about the bones and bone markings, and this is an excellent place to start.  Your textbook has a number of figures and exhibits that name the bones and label the bone markings.  Remember that you are responsible for the ones on your "Bones List" handed out in lab (and posted on Bb).  If you have the three-ring binder version of the textbook, you can just pull out chapters 7 and 8 to carry with you with the labeled bones.  If you have the bound version of the textbook, that is usually more cumbersome to carry around.  For this reason, the package in the bookstore with the bound version of the textbook also contains an atlas of the skeletal system with a red cover.  That will be easier to carry around to labs, open labs, and study groups.

Your lab manual is another print resource that you have available.  The lab manual also shows photographs of all the bones and bone markings.  However, most of the markings are not labeled.  This is a good way to get active with learning the markings from a print resource, by working on writing in the labels or quizzing yourself to see what you already have mastered.

Online Resources:

Several textbook publishers have online content that includes labeling exercises and other tools for studying bones and bone markings.   Some of these links are also posted in Blackboard.  McGraw Hill has some good labeling exercises associated with one of its A&P textbooks.  And of course, the Wiley Plus access that many of you have purchased will also have lots of labeling activities.

For learning the general terms for bone markings, Quizlet has a series of flashcards for learning those terms.

Apps: (some of these are iOS only and some are also for Android).

Winking Skull is a website that also has an app.  It has quite a bit of anatomy content on topics including the bones.  Thieme, the company that produces Winking Skull, also has their anatomy atlas available on the Epocrates app.  Anatomy and Physiology Revealed has an iPad app.  You can also do a web search for apps and there are several review articles like this one. 


There will be no substitute in the next three weeks for attending labs and as many open lab times as you possibly can.  No amount of studying a photograph or practicing online labeling exercises will replace study time with the actual bones that will be displayed on the practical exam.  You can't pick up a photograph and turn it around like you can the bone models.  Despite the many study tools you have, the best one will be the bone models in the lab.