Sangoma – The Zulu Witch Doctor

Ashley DAvidoff Copyright 2015

Sangoma

The artistic rendition of the Sangoma was created by a whole mount of the tissue of the gallbladder. The face of the Sangoma is shown with multiple pear-shaped gallbladders crowning the headdress.  The rest of the face is reconstructed with variations of the histological mount of the gallbladder.

The art piece below reveals the method of creating the Sangoma art piece above.

Introduction to the Medical Artwork of Shape

Ashley Davidoff Copyright 2015

Shape

The basic shapes include a square, triangle, sphere, rectangle, and lines.

Shape is not at all a difficult concept to understand and appreciate.  After all, shape is at the epicenter in the description of all form.  Intuitively shape is understood from our own physical experiences, and we take it for granted.  However it is the one of the major determinants in medical artwork and art forms, science, geometry, and nature.

Shape lends innate beauty in nature, functional value in physiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry, as providing relevance in geometry, and architecture.  Abstract concepts like “shaping an idea” for example carry  intellectual, scholarly, literary and philosophical implications.

Georgia O Keefe an American photographer and painter is quoted as having said that “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”

Lewis Carroll said “When you are describing a shape, or sound, or tint; don’t state the matter plainly, but put it in a hint; and learn to look at all things with a sort of mental squint”.  This quote has a sense of creativity, while the quote ‘The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape” by Shakespeare has a more ominous message.

Shapes in the Body

At an anatomical level, we are not unlike the ancient anatomists who struggled with the descriptors of shape and could only describe the form of anatomical structures by comparing them to known shapes in their environment.  Famous reference shapes were the moon and stars, foods, animals, plants, musical instruments, tools, weapons of war, boats, and letters of the alphabet.   Hooks are common: the hook of the hamate, uncinate process of the pancreas, or the falciform ligament all describe a characteristic curve.

Animals in the Hook Shaped Uncinate Process of the Pancreas

The tibia is supposed to look like a trumpet, the navicular like a ship, the sella turcica like a Turkish saddle, and the deltoid muscle like the Greek letter delta.  Artists developing medical artwork, anatomists, and clinicians have employed terms from nature’s bounty such as pear (or pyriform shape) for the uterus and gallbladder, almond shape for the ovary, tonsil and amygdala, and pea shape for the pisiform bone of the hand.

Pear Shaped Uterus

Pear Shaped Gallbladder

While some of these names are quite helpful and have been retained in our modern medical minds, others have been forgotten.  Most doctors and laymen alike would be surprised to learn the origin of the word muscle– from the Latin word “musculus” which means little mouse reminding the ancients of little mice under the skin.

At a biochemical level, shape of molecules is also highly important and relevant.  There is the linear shape of hydrogen, HCl, and CO₂, the triagonal planar shape of BCl₃  and AlCl₃, the tetrahedral shape of CH₄ and SiF₄, the bent shape of H20, and the octahedral shape of SF₆.  All have molecular consequence.

“Our goal is to control the shapes of new materials with the same level of precision that we exercise when controlling the stereo chemical relationships in a natural products synthesis.”  said Joseph M Fox, Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Delaware.

Shape is difficult to quantify, and in diagnostic medicine, judgment is often invoked when evaluating structures of the body.  A minor deformity in a structure could be the earliest sign of disease.  Consequently an early diagnosis makes treatment more timely and more effective.

Spheres Above and Below

This post with revision appeared previously in TheCommonVein.com in the section on Shapes

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Medical Art used to Describe Anatomy of Size or the Goldilocks Principle

Ashley Davidoff MD Copyright 2015

The  normal size of a structure  is  key to its health as depicted in Art In Anatomy’s medical art.  In the field of pathology, radiology and clinical medicine we evaluate the size of structure and use such terms as cardiomegaly, hepatomegaly and acromegaly to define enlargement of the relevant organ, and microcephaly, microhematuria, hypothyroidism, atrophy to define reduction in size or function.

Goldilocks?…. not too big and not too small …. but just right.  Sometimes disease and disorder is caused by excess, and other times caused by too little. When the size is “just right”, health and order prevails in the cell, the organ, the body, and the society.  Size of course is one of only many determinants of structural health.

“Goldilocks principle; order and disorder – health and disease“ 

shows the principle of “just right” for health and too big or too small for disorder and disease.  In the above case the white PENTANGLE sitting on top of the image, needs the shape of the circle, rectangle or triangle to fit within its confines.  All the structures in the first row would be too big,  those in the middle row would be too small, but all the structures in the third row would fit.  Goldilocks would say; not too big nor too small – it has to be just right.  This principle applies to the cell, biology, the person, and society.  

The Cell

In a cancerous cell there is an increase in the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio.  This means that the nucleus is too big for the cytoplasm.

“Small Nucleus, Health – Big Nucleus, Cancer” 

shows the a normal nucleus of the cell  (turquoise structure left image) associated with a “thumbs up” and reflects health. The normal sized nucleus provides functional space to enable the organelles in the cytoplasm to develop to full potential.  The nucleus serves as master and servant to the cell.  On the other hand the large nucleus (right sided red structure) causes disease since it compresses and stifles the members of the society residing in the cytoplasm. The “master” dominates the “server” in this scenario.

The Society

“Small Nucleus – Good Government;  Big Nucleus – Bad Government” 

shows the normal turquoise nucleus in the US Capitol associated with a “thumbs up” reflecting health.  In the right hand image government is too big (big red nucleus and a fat US Capitol) with its role as master dominating the role of server, and is given the  “thumbs down” reflecting a disease state.  A healthy nucleus pays attention to the past present and adapts for the future and is a balance of master and servant.  

Big and Small in the Organs

The Lungs

Emphysema is a disease of the lungs caused by cigarette smoking which reduces the elasticity of the small structures of the lungs.  As a result the small airways in the centrilobular region get larger and cannot rid themselves of the stale air.  This disease has a characteristic appearance on a CT scan

“Emphysema; the lungs and small airways are too big” 

The left sided image is a CT scan that shows normal lung  architecture.  The right image is a CT scan showing the ravages of a disease called emphysema caused by smoking. In emphysema the small airways and alveoli lose their elasticity and get stretched resulting in larger and larger centrilobular structures.  These small airways appear as big black holes in the lung on the CT scan (right image).

“Emphysema; respiratory bronchioles and alveoli are too big” 

is an artistic rendering of the microscopic structures of the lung correlating correlating with the features on the image above.  It again shows the principle of structures which lose function when they become too big  as a result of the loss of elasticity related to smoking.  The lungs therefore cannot perform their function to exchange gases optimally.  The left sided image is an artistic rendering of the normal terminal bronchioles and alveoli and shows normal lung  architecture.  The right image is is an artistic rendering showing the ravages of emphysema. In this disease the small airways and alveoli lose their elasticity and get stretched evolving into larger and larger structures.  Stale air hangs around in the large dilated structures and the body cannot get fresh air.  

The Liver

“Liver Cirrhosis; small pickled liver from alcohol abuse” 

shows the principle of structures whose size is too small as a result of increased scar tissue related to alcohol abuse.  The  liver therefore cannot perform its function as the metabolic workhorse of the body.  The left sided image shows the CT scan of a normal liver.  The liver is the biggest structure that you can appreciate on the CT scan – to the left side. It is triangular in shape.  The message of the left image is that a social drink – in this case having a beer in moderation with a friend enjoying the beauty of the lake, is healthy.  The right image is an artistic rendering showing the ravages of the disease called cirrhosis caused by the excesses of alcohol. The drinking habit when an addiction is usually a lonely event, leading to a miserable life and the downfall of the “liver” and the person.  The alcohol pickles the liver and makes it look like a shrunken prune – all scarred and knobbly.

The Heart

“Big Heart – not always good” 

reveals the principle of structures that are too big and as a result cannot function optimally.  The left sided image shows an athlete who has a normal sized heart as depicted as a cut out from a normal  CT scan of the heart .  The right image is a photograph of an elderly man whose heart (CT scan of cardiomyopathy) is too large .  He cannot walk far distances, climb stairs, nor sleep flat. His  lungs and legs are filled with fluid because his heart cannot pump out what it receives and hence the backup.  The context of the word “big heart” is relevant since culturally we use the word “big heart” to describe a generous person.  In medicine unfortunately a large heart is a diseased heart.

The Body

“Body – not too big, nor too small, but just right” 

depicts the variations of the size of the body portrayed in the chest and abdomen.  The image on the left demonstrates obesity, the middle image shows cachexia, and the right image shows the “just right” torso.

The art pieces displayed in this blog are just a few examples of how size is relevant in the culture of the cell, the organs, the body, and our society.

The fairy tale of the Goldilocks principle speaks loud, and rings true in the real world–not too big, not too small but just right!

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Art and Anatomy of Function

Ashley Davidoff MD Copyright 2015

 

What does a cell do?

What does an organ do?

What does a machine do?

What does a person do?

What does a factory do?

What does a society do?

We all do the same thing!

Receive

Process/Produce

Export

 

The Cell

The Liver Cell

It receives raw goods.

It  processes the raw goods and manufactures  a product that is useful to the society of the body

The cell then exports and transports the product to the society of the body

The Cell receives (red arrow) processes/produces (swirl in cell) and exports its products (yellow arrow).

The Organ – in this case the brain

The Brain receives sensory impulses from the environment, processes these impulses with memory and experience, and effects a response in the form of a muscle contraction or a secretion 

Other organs – in fact all organs do the same thing … In the next case we showcase the uterus

The Uterus receives a fertilized egg, enables the cells to evolve and grow in a supportive environment, and then delivers a baby to the world.

The Person.

What does a broom maker or for that matter a factory do?

The Broom Maker imports (orange arrow) straw, string and sticks. He then binds the sticks with the straw using string and produces a broom that he exports to the store for sale

Shakespeare received a lifetime experience through education, living sensitively, reading, scholarly endeavors, while integrating all the information.  With his creative nature and imagination ideas evolved on to paper through thoughtful process.  Stories and books were produced as a result.  His publisher exported the book to booksellers.

And even machines do it..

This is a machine that prints mementos on old pennies.  The old penny is placed in the slot (orange arrow).  The user then chooses the memento that he or she wants imprinted on the coin.  The machine processes the coin as directed and produces the memento which is delivered on the other end (green arrow).

The intent of this blog therefore is to express artistically the common principles of how all things in the body seem to work, and to draw parallels to enable a general understanding.

 

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Art Anatomy Depicts Good Nucleus Bad Nucleus

Good Government Bad Government

Ashley Davidoff MD Copyright 2015

If I am not for myself who will be for me?  If I am only for myself what am I? If not now, then when?

– Hillel the Elder

What Does the Nucleus Do?

The nucleus is the government and control center of the cell.

Central Control of the Nucleus and USA

The nucleus contains the history of biology. From the single celled organism, through the evolution of the fish, salamanders, reptiles, primates to homo sapiens, an extensive and epic story lies in this tiny cellular part.

Evolution of the Nucleus

Each nucleus is responsible for its individual cell, including the society of organelles that lie within the cytoplasm.  It is as if the nucleus remembers Hillel’s wise words, pondering … If I am not for my cell who will be?  If I am only for my cell what am I?  If not now, then when?

The Nucleus – King and Servant to the Cell

The community of cells must band together to create an organ.  With trillions of cells in the body, each nucleus must submit its power to the brain, nerves and the endocrine system, which possess a greater global perspective.

Why is the nucleus so successful in its control of human biology?

1. It knows, understands and is connected to its past, of which it maintains meticulous records.
2. It lives in the present, using its power for the greater benefit of the cell, while also answering to the demands and needs of the cell’s society.
3. It reads the requirements of the cell and adapts, so that the cell and the organism are better prepared for the future.

Anatomy Artwork depicts the states of the nucleus and how it is a metaphor for good and bad government.  We should learn from the nucleus’s success story. We must learn from our past and remain connected to our history, live in the present, and adapt to our conditions so that we can thrive in the future.

The Nucleus Learns from the Past, Lives in the Present , and Adapts for the Future

Humans are still young and immature in their development.  Homo sapiens has failed miserably at a coordinated effort to unify the world. In the 20th century, 203 million people lost their lives because they held a different belief system! “My Book is better than yours” they shouted as they mercilessly drained the life — and all the unfulfilled miracles — from their fellow human beings.

Nature and Nurture;  Great Leader and Despicable Animal

Unlike the nucleus, the rulers of the nations are rarely able to combine the role of leader and servant. The battle between Churchill and Hitler demonstrated the stark contrast of good vs. evil. Churchill was submissive to people and human dignity, and Hitler was a sociopathic bully for whom the life of others was less than meaningless. People are the result of the combination of nature and nurture — genes and upbringing. Although we have no control over the genetic inheritance , we can alter the behaviour. The cell teaches us that living with others is an exercise in cooperation, for the benefit of all.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People – Disease and Cancer

The Nucleus in Health and in Cancer shows a normal, healthy nucleus, and  an enlarged, cancerous one.

Cancer reflects either an innate genetic aberrance and/or is a genetic abnormality as a consequence of exposure to an environmental carcinogen.

Morphologically, when the nucleus grows too large, both physically and functionally, the cytoplasm shrinks and the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio increases.  This structural feature is pathognomonic of cancerous cells (images).

Small Nucleus – Health;   Big Nucleus – Cancer 

The normal sized nucleus is shown in the diagram of the normal cell (purple, left).  The organelles in the cytoplasm are thriving in a coordinated effort to support the life of the cell and the life of the organism.  The diagram of the cell is seen in the background of normal liver cells (histological section) with normal nuclear to cytoplasmic ratios.

The nucleus of the cancer cell (red, right) is too large.  It suppresses the other members (organelles) in the cytoplasm (green) containing the society of the cell. The organelles cannot therefore fulfill their function and the whole organism is doomed.  The increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio is demonstrated in the histological section of cancerous liver cells in the background.

Artistically, surrealism and spherism are used to provide the idea of good cell and bad cell. The good cell serves the demands of society while the bad cell serves it own selfish needs.

This power play occurs between individuals, and between leaders and nations. Purely self-serving interests are cancerous, and especially dangerous when located in seats of power.  Self interest with the intent of serving society is a balance we all must seek to achieve.  The nuclei of the trillions of cells that make up our body apply this wisdom.  When will we learn to apply these lessons?

Small Nucleus-Good Government;  Big Nucleus-Bad Government 

The small nucleus enables people to grow and flourish.  Like a cancer, government that grows too large pervades the lives of the members of the society, compressing and stifling individual growth.

The healthy nucleus teaches us that to attain unification and cooperation among people, leaders must embody the delicate balance between governing and serving.

 

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Anatomical Art Depicts Birth of the Nucleus

Author Ashley Davidoff MD  

Consultant: Lindsay Leveen BS Eng Chem,MBA,MSChE

“And bond they did… as they both whispered ..”I do and we did”. 

It all started with wholeness…and perfection

And then big bang (blog) happened …

…and we are trying to put the pieces back together again (Humpty Dumpty principle) as we pursue units to unity (images)

After big bang hydrogen was born (blog). Two basic attractive forces existed at that time and have continued to exist in biology.  The negative and positive forces allow opposites to bond and to form new life (blog).

Biology and humanity have both a conscious and unconscious need to build and rebuild.

In this blog we use anatomical art (and artistic license) to explore the manner in which phosphate, sugar, and a nitrogenous base build DNA, and how they build the nucleus.

A few universal algorithms apply;

there is power in numbers (blog) when units bond and organize,

and therefore

the whole is bigger than the parts and the numbers do not always add up

time passes

the sun and water are essential

I have a dream…

The dream of the nucleic molecules was to put a unified nucleus together

They needed a leader.  They needed central government.

So they started with bricks and mortar .

In trying to fathom how biology came from big bang to life we know that the evolution of hydrogen to nucleic acids and protein play a major role in the creation and maintenance of life.

As the hydrogen brick bonded with other hydrogen bricks, new bricks such as carbon oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus resulted.  These elements bonded and became the bread and butter of biology and in this instance the nucleus.

The nucleic acids, DNA and RNA are made of a phosphate, a sugar and a base

The Basic Brick of the Nucleus

The nucleotide is the basic brick of the nucleus.  It consists of a phosphate (blue), a  sugar (orange) and a nitrogenous base (green and red).

The first step was to put two bricks together … to bond two different  nucleotides that were attracted to each other.  Since  a base is a substance that can accept hydrogen ions (protons), or more generally, donate electron pairs, electrical forces were present to enable attraction and bonding.

 

Out on a Date in the Open Field  Surrounded by Trees and Mountains

“Bricks of Genes Chromosomes, and the Nucleus of the Cell“ shows  a base pair consisting of two nucleotides, each with a head of a phosphate,  a body of sugar (deoxyribose) and a bonding proboscis of a nucleobase (aka nitrogenous base).  The base pair Mr Adenine (left, green and red) and Ms. Thymine (right, green and blue) are on a date surrounded by nature, trees and mountains. Note the shape of Mr Adenine is perfectly rounded to fit into the light blue convex shape of the receiving Ms. Thymine.  There is no doubt that they are destined to dance as one since  the underlying shapes and electric attractive forces are going to facilitate the bond.

And bond they did… as they both whispered ..”I do and we did”.

 

Intimacy in Science

“Bonding of the Base Pair” shows the two nucleotides bonding. The base pair of Mr Adenine and Ms. Thymine have advanced from attraction to physical connection.  They are surrounded by nature, trees and mountains.   Surrealism and spherism (images) are used provide a sense intimacy in garden of Eden type surroundings. 

… and they had children and their children had children and they went forth and multiplied .. all the time increasing their numbers, adapting and bonding in the presence of sun, water and time.  The conscious and unconscious mission was to do Humpty Dumpty with a dream of units to unity.

“Base Pair Went Forth and Multiplied” shows the evolving chemistry of the DNA of the cell as the number of nucleobases increased and new bonds were formed.  As the base pair built in units to unity fashion they changed shape from the stepladder, to a double helix via the spiral dance.  As the double helix elongated secondary spirals formed.  The nucleus was surrounded by a cytoplasm of nature, trees and rivers.  Artistically  surrealism and spherism  provide a sense of bonding and time.

.. and time passed and numbers increased …

Party Time

“….and the double helix experiment succeeded and growth spiraled”  shows the result of a successful experiment and growth of the nucleus with time.  Morphology changed and history was inscribed in the sequence, governance of the society of the cell was assumed, and the recipes of how to maintain the cell were retained in the archives, and to be passed on to future generations.

.. and hence the birth of the nucleus..

“Birth of the Nucleus” shows the nucleus emerging from the organic elements of the earth in the presence of the environment of water sky… and the ever existing sun and moon.

Prior Blogs

• 01) What is Art in Anatomy? December 31, 2014
• 02) Artistic Anatomy | Big Bang, a Passionate Union, and the Birth of Hydrogen – the Brick of the Universe May 15, 2015
• 03) Art Anatomy – From Big Bang to Human Anatomy May 30, 2015
• 04) Human Anatomy Art; Miracles and Power in Numbers June 5, 2015

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Art of Human Anatomy

and the 

The Bricks of Genius

Ashley Davidoff MD Copyright 2015

The Art of Human Anatomy –

A breathtaking piece of art starts with a single brush stroke

A profound piece of literature starts with a letter

An inspiring piece of architecture starts with a brick

A magnificent dance starts with a single step

A glorious symphony starts with a single note

The miracle of a molecule starts with an atom

The magic of life starts with a cell

What is the common vein that runs through these creative miracles of our human world which are depicted in our human anatomy art?

What made da Vinci, van Gogh, Picasso, Seurat great artists? … and Shakespeare, Chaucer, Hemingway, Twain, Dickens great writers, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin great creators of music?

“Bricks-of-Greatness” shows the units that were and are used by great and creative minds in a single lifetime to create richness and value to humankind in their respective fields. The first line shows the alphabet that Shakespeare used to create his masterful works.  The second line starts with a single brushstroke that da Vinci used to create his genius Mona Lisa.  The third line is a musical note Mozart used in his piano sonata No 16 in c major K545.  Einstein extracted 3 letters from the alphabet, with a single number and single symbol and he exploded a scientific revelation that describes the relationship of energy and mass.  The last line is the miracle of human life that absolute perfection (black sphere) created from the cell (left).  The final product evolves into the dance couple in passionate embrace(right).

Connecting and Organizing the Parts

The composers are all bound by the physical constraints of the units of their art.  What makes them genius is the manner in which they put these units together, and the manner in which the units are organized.  The brilliance is the manner with which the genius chooses to add, divide multiply and subtract so that the product pushes the envelope to something really special. Our most recent genius used a simple algebraic equation E = mc ² giving us one of the most profound of human thoughts and insights; 3 letters a number and a symbol in a context– and there you have it – genius!

Human anatomy puts cells and organs together, connects them with life giving lines and voila- life!

“The Organs Combining to Make the Whole Body”  

shows the disconnected body parts that are scattered in random order and have no cohesiveness.  On the right side they are placed together and connected so that a working thinking and living person results. 

Time, Space, and Context

Individual human endeavor is but a lifetime of work

Nature has a taken a 13.8 billion years to create her work – Her creation has used the same tools and principles; addition, division, multiplication and subtraction in the context of the sun, moon and water. Her units started as we have seen with the hydrogen atom produced by Big Bang.  The repair of Big Bang is called units to unity.  Through this mechanism the world of biology tries to return to perfection and in the process creates the miracle of life.

The question of how life started has to be viewed through this process and in this context.  We may never come to a single black and white answer.  However what seems to be the common vein in the anatomy of the miracle is that the when the parts are bonded and organized, a surprise result evolves.

Prior Blogs

1. Art in Anatomy – where does it start and where does it end?
2. Artistic Anatomy | Big Bang, a Passionate Union, and the Birth of Hydrogen – the Brick of the Universe
3. Art Anatomy – From Big Bang to Human Anatomy

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Adam and Eve, Intimacy and Atomic Human Anatomy

Ashley Davidoff Copyright 2015

Art Anatomy begins after Big Bang, the positive force of the proton and the negative force of the electron danced around each other in the hydrogen atom. Despite their union they maintained their individuality.

Sometimes they get very close and intimate but still they retain their separate existence while remaining a new unit.  Consciously and unconsciously hydrogen seeks to form new bonds in an attempt to repair – so we believe – and return to the peacefulness of existence before Big Bang.

Bonding Forces in the Hydrogen Atom with Motion

The swirling motion as a result of the attractive forces in the hydrogen atom

And hydrogen – the brick of the universe, the brick of the earth, and the brick of the human body, bonded with other hydrogen atoms and moved  under the forces of the moon and the sun, and eventually formed different bricks of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen among others, and then moved on to create molecules, macro-molecules, nucleic acids, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, from those bricks.

Adam and Eve

And many years later two opposite human forces emerged and the one we called Adam and the second we called Eve… man and woman born to the earth.

Adam and Eve Born to the Earth

Adam and Eve emerge after much bonding and multiplication and trials in evolution

Atomic anatomy of the human body

62% of the human body is made from the hydrogen atom, 24% from oxygen, 12% from carbon, 1.1% from nitrogen, and then diminishing fractions of a percent for calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, fluorine, iron and zinc.

Element	Atomic percent
Hydrogen	62
Oxygen	24
Carbon	12
Nitrogen	1.1
Calcium	0.22
Phosphorus	0.22
Sulfur	0.038
Sodium	0.037
Potassium	0.033
Chlorine	0.024
Magnesium	0.0070
Fluorine	0.0012
Iron	0.00067
Zinc	0.00031

And on arrival of the two sexual forces of our human world, we find that they too are made from many of the original bricks. The hydrogen atom composes 62% of their makeup, and man and woman, just like the bricks that make them up, continue the dance around each other as a basic human endeavor. Despite their union they maintain their individuality.

Sometimes they get very close and intimate seeking to form new bonds in an attempt to repair – so we believe, and return to the peacefulness of existence before Big Bang.

A Passionate Dance

When they get as close as two people could ever be as they are consciously and unconsciously driven to return to wholeness, an explosion happens, providing a human experience of the sensational and miraculous energy of Big Bang.

“Oh my God!” we often say.

Then There was an Explosion

Big Bang in the Beginning

As a result there is a new cycle in time where the cells of this union try the same experiment since they too are opposite and attractive forces.

When Sperm Meets Egg

Union of the Sperm and the Egg

As a result of the union since biology understands the power of numbers, it starts to divide and multiply in “units to unity” fashion and the fetus forms.

The Fetus and the Earth

Fetus of the Earth

And the cycle starts again with the production of a new male or female force on the earth who will attempt (consciously and unconsciously) to return to the time when pure perfection existed.

Summary of Life

From Big Bang to the Fetus

The last image is a summary of these events – the dynamic anatomy of evolution – the common vein that runs through all of biology – big bang – forms bricks- the bricks bond to form new bricks to attempt to return to wholeness. In the process, the new bricks bond and the magic of life evolves.  In the magic of life, two opposite forces are attracted to each other.  They dance around each other, maintain their individuality, and in their conscious and unconscious need to return to wholeness, they are interrupted by an explosive emotion. Their seeds are themselves driven to bond and a new individual force results – male or female, and a few years later this person is driven to wholeness as well.

Prior Blogs

1. Art in Anatomy – where does it start and where does it end?
2. Artistic Anatomy | Big Bang, a Passionate Union, and the Birth of Hydrogen – the Brick of the Universe

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What is Art in Anatomy (AiA)?

Ashley Davidoff Copyright 2015

Art in Anatomy (AiA) is an  interdisciplinary project combining art and anatomy.

1- What is Art? Art is a creative human endeavor that appeals to the senses.

2- What is Anatomy? Anatomy is the structural science of biology – or the structural science of living organisms.

The Hand Shaping the Brain in Evolution

This artistic rendering of the brain introduces the concept of the evolution of the brain. Through years of evolution the hand has shaped the human brain.  The unique ability of humans to oppose the thumb, afforded to the hand an ability to create tools.  This skill forced the brain to accommodate the needs of the hand which in turn enabled the survival and evolution of the species.

3- What is art in anatomy? Art in anatomy therefore is the creative expression of the structural forms of life, and specifically life in human anatomy. By this definition therefore, the web site combines the disciplines of art and science, providing licence for the artist to add color to the black and white facts of science. Anatomy is within us and all around us.  It is with us when we sleep and when we wake up- when we are sad and lonely or when we are happy and ecstatic.  It has been with us ever since our predecessors roamed the earth, and will be with us forever.  It is always changing as one evolutionary cycle passes to the next, but also from one nanosecond to the next as we live and breath.  The organs through the human experience can tell the story of history, literature, culture, and of daily life.  It is up to the artist to help these structures tell the story from their perspective.  All these factors provide rich resources of inspiration for the artist.

Seasons in the Uterus

Dramatic changes in the anatomy of the fetus during the 9 months of gestation

          As a physician and radiologist I have stared in awe at the structures and workings of the human body over a 45 year career.  I have observed them in the peak of health and performance and at their most miserable times including dying moments. Each year I have chosen to explore the structural depths of an organ, including its anatomy, physiology and the diseases that affect it – how we diagnose the diseases and how we treat them.  In addition I delved into their cultural history, associations in literature poetry and art, as well as the history of our scientific knowledge .  As a result we became friends – and was inspired to write poetry about my new friend.  The material collected was presented as an interdisciplinary web-based exhibit at the Radiologic Society of North America for which it won numerous awards. The artwork presented in AiA is a result of the years spent in the preparation for these meetings as well as a coincident educational forum called The Common Vein (thecommonvein.com) in which images and imagerey are used to facilitate and augment medical education.