Anatomy is a three-dimensional science, and acquiring anatomical knowledge requires proper understanding of the structure of body parts and the spatial relationship among them. Dissection, prosection, and surface anatomy are all three-dimensional teaching and learning resources. However, using two-dimensional images such as book illustrations or blackboard drawings demands considerable cognitive effort for understanding three-dimensional structure.

Learning resources and methodologies at the higher education level are undergoing profound changes worldwide, and the teaching and learning of anatomy can now benefit from a number of powerful digital resources for visualization and understanding the three-dimensional structure of the body.

At the Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), we have developed Anatorama, a simple digital tool for visualization and manipulation of three-dimensional anatomical models. Anatorama can be accessed using an internet browser, irrespective of your computer’s platform (Windows, Mac OS, GNU Linux), but is also available for download (Windows version only). You will find access to all web contents through the Web-based contents section, and the downloadable version is available in the Download section.