Anatomy is the study of the structure and organization of living organisms and their parts. It is a fundamental aspect of the medical sciences and is essential for understanding how the body works, both in terms of its normal functioning and when things go wrong. The human body is an incredibly complex system, and the study of anatomy helps us to understand its various components and how they interact with each other.
Anatomy trivia questions are a fun and engaging way to test your knowledge of this fascinating subject. Whether you are a medical professional, a student of anatomy, or simply someone who is interested in learning more about the human body, these questions will challenge you and help you to expand your understanding of anatomy.
Here are some examples of anatomy trivia questions: What are the different systems of the human body? What is the function of the skeletal system? What is the largest organ in the human body? What is the function of the cardiovascular system? What is the function of the digestive system? These questions and others like them will help you to develop a deeper understanding of the anatomy of the human body and the role that each of its parts plays in maintaining good health.
113 Anatomy Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2024)
- What battery-powered board game has pieces called “bread basket,” “spare ribs,” “water on the knee,” and “funny bone?”
Answer: Operation
- Common in athletes, ACL surgery reconstructs or replaces a ligament located in what joint of the body?
Answer: knee
- The human retina contains receptor cells of two different types: rods and what tapered shapes?
Answer: Cones
- FEBRUARY 23rd, 2023 – For the last two decades, the only thing as inevitable as death and taxes was Ellen Pompeo being on ABC. However, February will mark the end of her character Meredith [redacted]’s regular appearances on what medical drama?
Answer: Grey’s Anatomy
- Patrick Dempsey grew up in humble Lewiston, Maine before playing Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd on what steamy surgical show?
Answer: Grey's Anatomy
- Later renamed, Seattle Grace was the name of the fictional Washington hospital where Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd worked on what long-running TV drama series?
Answer: Grey's Anatomy
- It sounds like the “floppy” you used to put in a computer back in the day, but which part of an owl’s feathery facial anatomy is what allows them to adjust their hearing?
Answer: Disk
- If you had to get orthopedic surgery to mend your torn meniscus, what largest joint in the body would you have to get repaired?
Answer: Knee
- The Chrysler Building and Empire State Building in New York are considered iconic representations of what 20th century artistic movement and architectural style?
Answer: Art Deco
- As far as we can tell, Michael Jordan, Gene Simmons, and Miley Cyrus all have very active hypoglossal nerves. The hypoglossal nerve is responsible for the movement of what muscular organ?
Answer: Tongue
- The term ‘subcostal' is used for things that are situated or performed below which set of bones?
Answer: The ribs
- What tiny structures are, at between five and ten micrometers in diameter, the smallest blood vessels in the human body?
Answer: Capillaries
- There are non-image-forming ganglion cells in the human eye (and other mammals) that are still photosensitive and receive light signals that can help regulate and suppress the production of what "M" hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake schedule?
Answer: Melatonin
- The four major lobes of the human brain are the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, and what?
Answer: Temporal lobe
- Which medical term from the Latin terms for “blood” and “break forth” refers to a lot of bleeding, which can be life-threatening?
Answer: Hemorrhage
- Which part of the body is comprised of the carpus and metacarpus?
Answer: Hand
- First published in 1858, what textbook was based on dissections performed on unclaimed corpses. Its name was later used for a medical tv drama.
Answer: Gray's Anatomy
- Sometimes called the breastbone, what bone sits at the front of the chest and connects with the ribs with the cartilage? Based on its name you might think it is an unrelentingly serious bone.
Answer: Sternum
- Inciscors, ______, premolars/bicuspids, molars. What word is missing from this sequenced list?
Answer: Canines
- What fibrous tissue connects the calf muscles to the calcaneus? It is named after the Greek hero who killed Hector outside of Troy.
Answer: achilles tendon
- What Iron containing metalloprotein carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body? It is in the red blood cells most vertebrate animals.
Answer: hemoglobin
- What is the general term for the small tubes in the circulatory that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart? It sounds like an adjective for a conceited person.
Answer: Vein
- In anatomy, what S-adjective describes a plane that runs from front to back, dividing the body or one of its parts into left and right sides?
Answer: sagittal
- Of the three principal layers that make up human skin, what name is given to the outer most layer that provides a waterproof and protective barrier?
Answer: Epidermis
- The "nephron," which is composed of a renal corpuscle and a renal tubule, is the basic unit that makes up what organ?
Answer: Kidney
- In the human body there are "pyloric," "ileocecal," and "urethral" types of what circular muscles, which maintain constriction of an orifice?
Answer: Sphincters
- The islets of Langerhans are groups of cells that produce insulin and glucagon located in what organ of the body?
Answer: pancreas
- The upper ventral, or chest cavity, containing the heart, lungs, esophagus and other body parts, also goes by what “T” name? It comes from the Latin word meaning “breastplate.”
Answer: Thoracic Cavity
- Carlo Ruini's 1598 book, "Anatomia del Cavallo" was the first treatise on the anatomy of a species (other than people). What animal species was the book about? According to Shakespeare, RIchard III once cried "A ______! A ______! My kingdom for a ______!"
Answer: Horse
- The "chloecyst" is another name for what small organ that stores bile?
Answer: Gallbladder
- In ruminant animals, the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum are the four compartments of what organ, which helps the animals ferment their food before digestion?
Answer: Stomach
- What "U" bone can be found on the Homo sapien forearm? The bone is very near the radius.
Answer: Ulna
- What is the largest bone in the human body?
Answer: Femur
- While it's long been considered vestigial, recent studies suggest that what internal body part's role might be to assist the immune system by acting as a “safe house” for helpful gut bacteria? We have nothing to add to this question.
Answer: Appendix
- Before “House” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” Robert Young was “Marcus _____, M.D.,” which ran on ABC from 1969 to 1976.
Answer: Welby
- Starting at the lower back and running down both legs, which nerve is the longest and widest in the human body?
Answer: Sciatic nerve
- In what part of the body can you find the stapedium, the smallest human skeletal muscle?
Answer: Ear
- "Earkeckers" are an outdated term for what body part, which is typically only discussed when the site of swelling and a removal procedure?
Answer: Tonsils
- The vermilion border demarcates which facial features from the surrounding skin?
Answer: Lips
- In 2011, a new Guinness World Record was established for the most number of toes on a newborn human. How many toes did this Indian child have? (must be within 2 of the correct answer)
Answer: 20 toes
- The sigmoid section of what part of the digestive tract is named for its "S" shape?
Answer: Colon
- The adrenal glands rest on top of what paired organ?
Answer: Kidney
- What is the five-letter name of the oily substance that is produced to protect hair and skin on humans and is considered the main ingredient in the body's "natural oils"?
Answer: Sebum
- In mammals, what is the common name for the pair of oviducts or uterine tubes through which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus?
Answer: Fallopian tubes
- Because its length is approximately twelve fingers, what portion of the small intestine gets its name from the Latin for "in twelves?"
Answer: duodenum
- What 16th century man from Hapsburg Netherlands is considered the father of anatomy, having published the first major textbook on the subject, “On The Fabric Of The Human Body” in 1543?
Answer: Andreas Vesalius
- In the anatomy of the eye, what is the name of the small depression in the retina, where one's field of vision is centered?
Answer: Fovea
- What “C” word is the medical term for earwax, the waxy substance secreted in the ears of mammals? Fittingly, it is derived from the Latin word for “wax”.
Answer: Cerumen
- In 1598, Carlo Ruini’s depiction of animal physiology, “Anatomy Of A ______”, provided the first detailed analysis of an animal’s inner workings. Fill in the one word animal blank, which allowed for treatment for animals such as Trigger.
Answer: Anatomy Of A Horse
- Humans are defined as being vertebrates because of the presence of a verterbral column, also known as a spine or what “B” word? In metaphor, it is said a coward does not possess one of these.
Answer: Backbone
- "Anatomy of a Murder" is a classic 1959 courtroom drama starring James Stewart, directed by what Austro-Hungarian who was also famous for "Laura" and "The Cardinal?"
Answer: Otto Preminger
- What “C” word describes the lower end of the uterus, which allows for a baby to pass from the womb into the birth canal?
Answer: Cervix
- Derived from the Latin for “little cavity”, what is the name of the air sacs in the lungs where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide?
Answer: Alveoli
- What “S” muscle is in the leg’s calf? It arises from the upper tibia and fibula, and the attaches to the Achilles tendon at the heel.
Answer: Soleus Muscle
- From the Latin for "brooch," what bone parallels the tibia and attaches to the head of the tibia via ligaments?
Answer: Fibula
- What “A” term is given to the portion of the human ear that is visible to the naked eye? It is a derivative of the Latin word for ear.
Answer: Auricle
- Which tiny, finger-like units lining the walls of the small intestine help increase its surface area in order to absorb nutrients more efficiently? The micro version of these projections can be found on any kind of cell membrane.
Answer: Villi
- What “P” membrane-lined cavity sits being the nose and mouth, connecting both to the esophagus? It interestingly rhymes with the larynx.
Answer: Pharynx
- On average, what is the largest muscle in the human body? It's generally responsible for keeping the trunk of the body in an erect posture.
Answer: Gluteus Maximus
- Also known as pyramidal cells due to their size and shape, Betz cells are located in which part of the human body?
Answer: Brain
- What “T” soft organ that is located posterior to the sternum processes and matures T cells?
Answer: Thymus
- What term, also used in relation to planetary motion, means the cavity of the skull that is the location of the eye and its appendages?
Answer: Orbit
- Blood drains from the liver to the inferior vena cava through which veins?
Answer: Hepatic
- Also known as birthing custard, what “v” is a waxy white substance found on the skin of newborn babies?
Answer: Vernix
- Sharing its name with a carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar, what “f” is a depression or hollow in a bone?
Answer: Fossa
- The thumb, heel, and thorax all contain what kind of joint between bones, where one bone surface is concave and the other is convex?
Answer: Saddle joint
- With an average weight in adults of approximately 3lbs (1.5kg), what is the heaviest gland in the human body?
Answer: The Liver
- Two layers of membranes called "pleurae" cover the surface of what organs of the human body?
Answer: Lungs
- It's not as funny as it sounds, what is the clear gel-like material that fills the eyeball between the lens and the retina?
Answer: Vitreous humor
- What type of tissue, which forms the outer surface of organs, is one of four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective, muscle, and nervous tissues?
Answer: Epithelial Tissue
- What's the name of the ridge of cartilage, Latin for "keel," which lies in the trachea between the division of the two main bronchi?
Answer: Carina
- In medical terminology, “ventral” means toward the front—or anterior—of the body. “Dorsal” refers to the back—or what positional term—of the body?
Answer: Posterior
- In which part of the body will you find the tarsal bones?
Answer: Feet
- Which subfield of biology involves studying the structures of cells, tissues, and organs by looking at them with a microscope? (Hint: It’s sometimes called microanatomy)
Answer: Histology
- What type of bone, embedded in a tendon or muscle, gets its name from its small, seed-like size?
Answer: Sesamoid
- Beginning with the letter Z, what is the name of the bone that is the protruding part of the cheek as well as forming the lower part of eye socket?
Answer: Zygomatic bone
- What is the Latin "C" word that is used in English to refer to either an eyelash (when speaking anatomically) or an organelle on eukaryotic cells that projects from a much larger cell body (when speaking microbiologically)?
Answer: Cilium
- The International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago serves as a macabre dedication to the art of cutting people open, including a surgeon "Hall of Fame." Included in the museum's archives are letters and journals from what famous English statistician who is often considered the founder of modern nursing?
Answer: Florence Nightingale
- The first reports of a Grey's Anatomy spin-off focused on Kate Walsh's character Addison Montgomery became public on February 21, 2007. The show officially debuted later that year and ran until 2013. What was the name of the show?
Answer: Private Practice
- Vibram paid out millions in refunds for their exaggerated claims about the orthopedic benefits of peculiar-looking running shoes named for what non-foot body part?
Answer: FiveFingers
- What single-word term refers to the body’s ability to regulate various physiological processes to keep internal states steady and balanced?
Answer: Homeostasis
- Three "orders" of architecture originated in Greece, and the names of these orders are also used to describe different types of columns. Corinthian is one of the three orders. With one guess, name either of the other two.
Answer: Ionic or Doric
- Sounding like it might be made of a shiny metal, what is the name of the substance found in chromosomes that is a complex mixture of proteins, DNA, and RNA?
Answer: Chromatin
- Which subfield of biology studies the structures of cells, tissues, and organs by looking at them with a microscope? (Hint: It’s sometimes called microanatomy)
Answer: Histology
- Separating humans and some primates from other animals by allowing a specific type of movement, the Trapezium, one of the carpal bones, is found in which human appendage?
Answer: Hand
- In humans, the clavicle and scapula connect the skeleton to the arm in what is known as the shoulder ______. Fill in the one word “G” blank, also a name for a form fitting lower torso garment, sometimes worn by women for support.
Answer: Shoulder Girdle
- What “S” glands, as opposed to sweat, release fatty oils into the follicular duct that then travel to skin?
Answer: Sebaceous glands
- The xiphoid process begins as cartilage and becomes bone as a person grows. It is the smallest and lowest part of which bone?
Answer: Sternum
- What “C” skeletal part is the superior aspect of the skull? It encloses and protects the brain.
Answer: Cranium
- Which structure in the vertebral column, which is formed of three to five rudimentary vertebrae, is named after the cuckoo bird due to its resemblance to the cuckoo's beak?
Answer: Coccyx
- Which small endocrine gland in the brain, whose name derives from it being shaped like a pinecone, produces and regulates melatonin?
Answer: Pineal gland
- What “A” body parts are the upper chambers through which blood enters the ventricles of the heart? In the left one, blood is received from the lungs, while in the right one, blood is received from venous circulation.
Answer: Atrium
- Performing important sensory functions, the choroid and the uvea are part of which bodily organ?
Answer: Eye
- When the palm of the hand is facing up, it’s pronated. What is it called when the arm is turned and the palm is facing down?
Answer: Supinated
- Which organelle found in most eukaryotic cells is named after an Italian physician with the first name Camillo who discovered it in 1897?
Answer: Golgi apparatus
- A region in the frontal lobe of the brain named for Pierre Paul Broca, a physician studying aphasia in the 19th century, is linked with what important human capability?
Answer: Speech
- Since a skeleton can't just tell you how old they are, a pretty reliable indicator of a corpse's age are what upper torso bones that are among the last to completely fuse?
Answer: Clavicle
- The human eye has six different muscles that controls its movements: the lateral ______, the medial ______, the inferior ______, the superior ______, the inferior oblique, and the superior oblique. What is the word that has been removed four times?
Answer: Rectus
- What is the term for the front area of the brain, which is separated into two hemispheres by a fissure? It integrates sensory and neural function, and is the initiation point for voluntary activity in the body.
Answer: Cerebrum
- The glabella is the smooth area of skin found between which features of the body?
Answer: Eyebrows
- The malpighian pyramids, named after Marcello Malpighi, are located in which pair of organs found in vertebrates?
Answer: Kidneys
- From the Greek word amugdale—which means “almond”—what’s the medical term for the pair of nuclei set deep in the brain’s temporal lobes that help us make choices, deal with our feelings, and remember stuff?
Answer: Amygdala
- The outer part of the ear is called one of two names: the auricle or the ______ (which is Latin for “wing” or “feather”).
Answer: Pinna
- The retina is the inner part of the eyeball. The middle part is the choroid. Covered by the conjuctiva, what is the name of this outer part? In humans, this whole outer part is white, contrasting with the iris. In other mammals, the visible section of this part matches the iris.
Answer: Sclera
- Which anatomical term refers to the sac around the heart?
Answer: Pericardium
- Which anatomical directional term refers to the front of the body or being toward the front of the body? (Hint: Anterior is another term that applies here, but the one we’re looking for is at the other end of the alphabet)
Answer: Ventral
- Baha hearing devices are good for more than the beach, since Baha is just an acronym for WHAT-anchored hearing aids?
Answer: Bone
- A fish's dorsal fin is located along its spine; what corresponding adjective starting with C describes a fish's tail fin?
Answer: caudal
- Every second, your body produces 25 million new ones of these?
Answer: Cells
- The three smallest bones in the human body are in the ear. They are the stapes, the incus, and what other hammer-like ossicle?
Answer: Malleus
- What “E” term describes the membrane that lines the inner surface of the bone marrow cavity? It comes from the Greek, with the meaning “inside bone.”
Answer: Endosteum
- The inion is a projection found at the base of which part of the human body?
Answer: Skull
- What is the two-word name for the anatomical feature at the base of the brain's hypothalamus where the optic nerves of both eyes meet and cross? We'll give you a hint: the first word is "optic."
Answer: Optic chiasm
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About the Author
Eli Robinson is the Chief Trivia Officer at Water Cooler Trivia. He was once in a Bruce Springsteen cover band called F Street Band.
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