The Body Museum at Khalifa University hosts world-class exhibits that educate and inspire us towards better health and living. Our collection hopes to educate, inspire, and elevate our visitors to a higher level of health consciousness.

The
Skull

The skull is composed of numerous individual bones of different shapes and sizes. The lacrimal bone is the smallest of these and is located near the nose. The maxilla and the mandible form the upper and the lower part of the jaw.

Did you know that you can identify if a person is male or female from their skull? Generally, a woman’s skull is more rounded and gracile, whereas a men’s skull is larger and more robust.

The
Brain

The brain is a complex organ controlling thoughts, memory, speech, movement, and organ function. The large top portion of the brain (cerebrum) is divided into the r ight and left cerebral hemispheres.

Did you know that, on average, the brain is not fully formed until the age of 25?

The hemispheres communicate with each other through the corpus callosum, which is a bundle of connecting fibers located between them.

The
Heart

The heart is the central organ of the cardiovascular system, it pumps blood to all parts of the body. A muscular wall (septum) separates the heart into two halves, preventing the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. Both the right and the left halves can be divided into an atrium that received the blood and a ventricle that pumps the blood out.

Did you know that the heart weighs between 250 and 350 grams and is the approximate size of your own fist?

The heart has the following layers: the pericardium, the myocardium, and the endocardium.

The
Hand

The hand functions with the help of two types of muscle groups: The extrinsic (not located within the hand) muscles which are in the anterior and posterior compartments of the forearm and produce a forceful grip. The intrinsic muscles found within the hand itself are responsible for the fine motor functions of the hand.

Did you know that the thumb is controlled by 9 individual muscles and that these muscles are supplied by 3 different major nerves?

About 50 different smaller nerve fibers, branches of the 3 major nerves of the hand, allow us to sense and feel with our hands.

The
Foot

The foot is home to over 26 different bones, in other words, nearly a quarter of all the bones in the human body. Additionally, around 30 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments are located in the foot. The muscles, arranged in layers on the sole of the foot, move the toes and provide padding underneath the sole of the foot.

Did you know that one of the reasons why each foot has so many bones and joints is because the foot has the ability to adapt to uneven surfaces and remain stable?

The foot can be divided into 3 different sections:

  • The forefoot corresponding to the toes and the ball of the foot.
  • The midfoot corresponding to the mid-area between the ball of the foot and heel bone (calcaneus).
  • The hindfoot corresponding to the area between the ankle joint and the heel bone (calcaneus).