Dorsal root ganglion

Dorsal root ganglion: cell bodies of somatic afferent (sensory) neurons located in the intervertebral foramen of the vertebral column on the dorsal root.

We were in anatomy lab yesterday and my lab partners and I were discussing the back muscles and nerves. We were trying to describe a little mass of nerves that was coming out of the spinal cord when a TA came over and tsssk'd us. "Why are you using those words? You need to start discussing anatomy as if you are rendering a diagnosis." We were a little confused and he clarified, "You need to start using the terminology of medicine."

Someone likened learning anatomy to learning a new language, preferably Latin. Every little notch, gap, dent, hole, groove, and surface of the bones has a name and it follows for most structures of the body. There is no more "that little hole right there behind that bony thing sticking out." I guess now I know why docs sometimes use medical lingo with their patients without realizing it. We are taught this in the first weeks of medical school. So, when we started using anatomical names and positions, the material was a lot easier to learn and retain.

Now I notice every little thing as something anatomical. My hubby is reaching up to grab the cereal out of the cupboard. He is abducting his arm laterally (deltoid muscle), extending his arm anteriorly (latissimus dorsi muscle), elevating his scapula superiorly (levator scapulae muscle), and extending and abducting his hand (extensor carpi radialis muscle) and those are just gross movements. A lot of other bones, nerves, joints, and muscles contribute to that one simple task.

Isn't this just making your dorsal root ganglion ache???