There’s a poster of the muscular system in my physical therapist’s office that kind of freaks me out.
Can you tell what it is?
The whole body is shown by its muscles…except for the toes, fingers, nose and mouth. Nope, they’re covered in skin. As if it’s not creepy enough to see the body in only its muscular form. I just don’t get it. Are there no muscles in the toes? And if that’s true…why leave the skin on? Why not just show the bones?
I know you’re thinking, woah, what is wrong with her? This bothers her?
Yes, it does. Every time I’m there. Twice a week. Those un-muscular toes. Staring at me.
Welcome to my brain.
These Little Moments 
17 comments
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March 11, 2009 at 11:20 am
Valerie
You’re not crazy. That poster is creepy to the max.
I suppose they included the skin just to make it more human looking??
March 11, 2009 at 11:34 am
Jaxie
That would bug the crap outta me too… and that’s a creepy poster even without the weird nose/fingers/toes thing.
March 11, 2009 at 11:44 am
andhari
Ok that pictures kinda give me the creeps. LOL
March 11, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Stephanie
Yeah, that is kinda a creepy picture, but from my basic medical knowledge for work, the fingers and toes dont have muscles, just tendons that move by the muscles in your hands and wrists, feet and ankles, I believe the same is for the nose..but as far as leaving the skin on and not showing the bone and tendons, I have no clue…does seem kinda odd….although no skin on the nose would make it a much more creepy picture…But I just have basic knowledge of that stuff, I’m not a doctor or anything so dont quote me LOL Hopefully I haven’t grossed you out…I have read in past posts that you dont do well with medical stuff. Sorry if I did 😦
March 11, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Amber
The poster doesn’t really creep me out. I never noticed the toes or fingers being covered with skin though.
Your brain amuses me. (In the nicest way)
March 11, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Heather
there are muscles in your toes & fingers, but generally during human dissection, the skin is left on the fingertips & toes. weird & whatever else, but that’s the way it goes.
I was in cadaver lab last semester (I’m the OT student), and seeing hands with just the fingertip skin left on is weeeeeeeeeird (especially when the ladies have their nails painted. yikes).
now that I’ve sufficiently informed & creeped you out, I’ll end this comment. 😉
March 11, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Amber
You’re not crazy, just extremely observant! I would have never noticed that!
March 11, 2009 at 2:12 pm
DevilsHeaven
I’m with Amber, I never would have noticed it either. In fact, I had to take a closer look even after you pointed it out, because I thought the fingers were missing altogether instead of being held as fists. And why fists? Why????
March 11, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Cat
If you look at the hand and foot images on the sides you’ll notice that there are muscles in your hands and feet, which move your fingers and toes but the muscle part doesn’t extend into the fingers and toes. Only the tendinous portion inserts into the fingers and toes.
The nose is mostly cartilage. It moves by the muscles inserted lateral to it, so no muscles on the nose per se. The lips mark the transition from mucous membrane to skin, and it’s movement is controlled by the muscles around it.
I don’t know why they depicted the skin on the human form, but I can tell you that it’s a real pain to remove the skin in those areas from a cadaver. Usually we’re just required to remove it from one toe and one finger on each side of the body just so we can observe the insertion of the tendons underneath.
Anatomy lab was actually my favorite part of med school. It’s a lot better than histology/pathology where everything tends to look the same–small and pink and purple.
And now my comment is officially longer than your entire post.
March 11, 2009 at 4:01 pm
La Petite Chic
I have to admit, that is pretty creepy! Gross!
March 11, 2009 at 5:54 pm
ohitislove
i have to say….ew. i have never noticed that before, but i’m sure i will anytime i go to the doctor’s office…mine has that too.
and seriously…what is the deal with the skin? creep is right.
March 11, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Kasia Fink
I’ve noticed that too except I wondered how come, when they decided to leave the lips and fingers, they didn’t leave the pee-pee on too?
March 11, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Cee
Definitely creepy for sure!
March 11, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Emily
Too funny! I am a physical therapist assistant and we have this same picture in our clinic. Do you know that everyone else in the clinic thought I was crazy for noticing the toes and fingers were covered with skin. I will definately be informing them I’m not so weird after all. Or maybe the two of us are both weird.. either way, glad to know I’m not alone. LOL.
March 12, 2009 at 9:53 am
jen
I think it’s just in case he gets cold toes (hehe) xx
March 12, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Sarah663
Don’t go see the “Bodies” exhibit – it is all just like that “in the flesh” ha ha. It’s all muscles and nerves and skin of real people – I have a feeling you would be waaayyyy creeped out!!
March 17, 2009 at 10:22 am
La Petite Belle
hahahaha yeah, don’t go see the BODIES exhibition because you will have a breakdown.