This 3D animation illustrates the process of gas exchange in the lungs. The primary lung asset was derived from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Lister Hill National Cancer Center for Biomedical Communications’ NLM3D, an open-source library of medical-imaging–derived 3D polygonal models for use in public health, medical, and STEM applications. All other assets were created in-house. The 3D models were either sculpted or modeled using ZBrush and Cinema 4D.

The video combines recorded simulation events in addition to key frame animation and incorporates 2D graphics, video production, original writing, and voice acting.

Most textbooks and atlases of human anatomy chronicle only a few cases of muscle variations in the "normal" human population, or of muscle anomalies within congenital malformations. Consequently, there is a misconception of what is considered "normal" human anatomy and what that looks like. Each person within the "normal" population has at least a few muscle variations, and there are millions of individuals born globally each year with muscle anomalies. There are crucial knowledge gaps between what is taught, what students learn, what textbooks and atlases show, and what truly happens in nature and within our species. This handbook fills this gap by: 1) providing a comparative evolutionary context for muscle variations and defects in humans, 2) summarizing the major types of variations and anomalies found in humans, and 3) including didactic figures for a visually engaging learning experience. This book is of interest to students, professors, and researchers in biological anthropology, comparative anatomy, functional morphology, zoology, and evolutionary and developmental biology, as well as to clinicians and practicing health professionals.

For this project, my first fully illustrated textbook, I explored a unique signature style to present anatomy. I wanted the viewer to be able to see each muscle attached to the bones, so I left the page white. I wanted the skin to be invisible and the bones to appear like glass—transparent—so that the focus remains on the muscles and bones. With this style, the structure of the bones are kept, while the internal visibility is low, so the user has a bit of "x-ray" vision. I intentionally retained much of my messy linework so readers are aware that this information was drawn by a human hand, not generated by a machine.

While I was a student, I remember thinking that anatomy illustrations were created by machines. Later, I learned they were drawn by people—people who make mistakes—and I wanted to emphasize that humanity in this body of work. To remind the viewer not to completely trust what they see before their eyes, as it is subject to human knowledge and error, and to always continue seeking additional knowledge as they refine their own understanding.

The book has 392 pages and 57 illustrations.

Key Features

• Summarizes most recorded variations and anomalies for each muscle in the human body
• Provides information on the comparative anatomy of each muscle, including evolutionary differences from our closest living relatives, the apes
• Includes didactic illustrations of the variations and anomalies for a visually engaging learning experience
• Comprehensively reviews literature to document prevalence information for each variation and anomaly, within humans