Anatomy Lab Practical Practice Test: Name Structures on a 3D Body

In anotemy's free anatomy lab practical practice test, a structure is lit orange on a 3D body, you choose its name from four options, and you get a score at the end. Each answer links to notes on that structure, and there is no sign-up.

Loading…
A structure highlighted in orange on a 3D model of the body

Name the structure highlighted in orange.

Structures in this test

Aorta · Biceps brachii · Clavicle · Common carotid artery · Deltoid · Diaphragm · External oblique · Femoral artery · Femur · Fibula · Gallbladder · Gastrocnemius · Gluteus maximus · Hamstrings · Heart · Hip bone · Humerus · Kidneys · Large intestine · Latissimus dorsi · Liver · Lungs · Mandible · Masseter · Patella · Pectoralis major · Pulmonary trunk · Quadriceps · Radius · Rib · Rotator cuff · Sacrum · Sartorius · Scapula · Small intestine · Soleus · Sternum · Stomach · Superior vena cava · Temporalis · Tibia · Tibialis anterior · Trachea · Trapezius · Triceps brachii · Ulna · Urinary bladder · Vertebra

How this practice test works

anotemy's practice test is a free web tool for naming structures the way they appear at a lab practical station. A structure is lit orange on a 3D body, and you pick its name from four choices. A round is up to 10 structures, fewer when a region has fewer, and you see your score at the end.

The lit structure is meant to look like a pinned structure at a station, but the test itself is four-choice naming rather than a full station exam. Each answer links to notes on that structure, so a miss becomes a short review. The test is free while in beta and needs no sign-up; its main limit is a round of up to 10 structures.

You can choose all regions (48 structures), upper limb, lower limb, thorax, abdomen and pelvis, or head, neck and back. Start with the region your lab practical covers, then use the all-regions set as a final check. Because each answer links to notes, you can read around a structure when a name does not stick.

How anatomy lab practicals work

A lab practical is usually a circuit of stations, and each station asks you to identify a pinned or tagged structure. The station may use a donor, a model, an image, or a piece of tissue, and the structure may be marked with a pin, a tag, or a small label. The exact setup differs by school, so follow your lab's instructions.

At each station you have a fixed time to read the question and write your answer. Most prompts ask for a name, and some ask for a function as well. Spelling counts, so practice writing the terms rather than only saying them.

  • Stations are set up around the room, and you move from one to the next on a signal.
  • A pinned or tagged structure is the target; the pin or tag points to the part you must name.
  • You get a fixed time per station; the amount differs by school.
  • Prompts usually ask for a name, and they may also ask for a function.
  • Spelling matters on written answers, so write full terms.
  • The number of stations, the time, and the rules vary by course, so check your lab manual.

What to know in this test

This practice test covers 48 structures across the body, and the region sets group them for study. Use shape, position, and neighbors rather than color alone: the orange lit structure is a prompt, not the only clue. The bullets below cover the main structure groups and the named examples in this test.

  • Upper limb: the humerus is the long bone of the arm, the scapula is the flat, triangular bone on the upper back, and the deltoid caps the shoulder. Recognize the humerus by its long shaft and ends, the scapula by its flat body and spine, and the deltoid by its position over the shoulder joint. The upper limb set adds the other arm and shoulder structures in the test.
  • Lower limb: the femur is the long bone of the thigh, and the quadriceps is the muscle group on the front of the thigh. Recognize the femur by its long shaft and rounded head, and the quadriceps by its position over the front of the femur. The lower limb set includes the other hip, thigh, and leg structures in the test.
  • Thorax: the heart sits in the center of the chest between the lungs, and the lungs are the paired organs on either side. Recognize the heart by its cone shape and central position, and the lungs by their large, spongy lobes and close relation to the heart. The thorax set has 9 structures, so it is a shorter round.
  • Abdomen and pelvis: the liver is the large organ in the upper right abdomen, the stomach is the curved organ in the upper left, and the kidney is the bean-shaped organ behind the abdominal contents. Recognize the liver by its size and right-side position under the diaphragm, the stomach by its curve and left-side position, and the kidney by its bean shape and position against the back wall. The abdomen and pelvis set adds the other organs, the external oblique, the hip bone and the sacrum.
  • Head, neck and back: the mandible is the lower jaw, and the trapezius is the large superficial muscle of the back and neck. Recognize the mandible by its U shape and lower-jaw position, and the trapezius by its broad, diamond-like span from the skull and neck down to the mid-back. The head, neck and back set has 7 structures, so it is a shorter round.
  • All regions: the 48-structure set mixes the upper limb, lower limb, thorax, abdomen and pelvis, and head, neck and back. For each structure, check shape first, then position, then the neighbors it sits against. If a name does not stick, follow the answer link to notes on that structure and read the description around it.

How to study for the practical

Study by pulling the name of each structure out of your memory while you look at it, not by re-reading a labeled diagram. The practical asks you to name what is in front of you, so your practice should look the same: an unlabeled image or model, a blank in your head, and you filling it.

anotemy's free practice tests are built on that idea: a structure lights up orange on a 3D body the way a pinned structure looks at a station, and you pick one of four names. Each round is up to 10 structures, with fewer when a region has fewer structures, and you get a score at the end. Every answer links to notes on that structure, so a miss sends you straight to the thing you did not know.

Where a structure you type into a note is one anotemy recognizes, the word itself lights up in the text; tap the word and the structure opens in 3D, which makes it easy to keep one short note per structure with the view you want to remember. Here is how to turn that into a study routine.

  • Test yourself from images and models before you look at labels. Guess the name, then check it, rather than reading the answer off the diagram.
  • Say the name out loud, in full, as you would at the station. Naming silently lets you skip the part where you have to produce the word.
  • Mix the views. Look at the same structure from the front, the back and the side, and from the 3D model as well as a photo or a drawing, so you recognize it from any angle.
  • Time yourself. Work in short rounds under a little pressure so a station feels ordinary rather than rushed, and note which structures slow you down.
  • Review your misses the same day, then retest only those. A wrong answer is more useful than a right one you guessed.
  • Keep your notes on each structure in one place, with the view that made it click, so review is reading your own short page rather than hunting through slides.