Human Embryo Stage 18

Rapid and accurate learning of human embryology informs normal adult structures, normal anatomical variations, congenital anomalies, and supports clinical diagnosis. Visualizing the 3-dimensional changes that include complex and non-intuitive bending and rotation during limb development is especially difficult. The limb growth process doesn't parallel adult limb orientation. Understanding embryonic limb development correctly from the beginning provides medical students with a robust and reliable foundation for conceptualization of anatomical relationships in the limbs. Visualization of this process leads to the formation of a mental image that is critical to providing directional orientation and context. For my research project, I am developing an interactive 3D program that depicts the bending and rotation of upper and lower limb development. The image depicts the study/research of human embryo Carnegie at stage 18 to understand the different physiological characteristics in upper and lower limbs. The embryo image at stage 18 represents the different growth speed of upper and lower limbs, where the upper limb has developed digit rays and lower limb has foot pedal.