Dissection # 9: Orbit

You can draw the orbit using these easy instructions. Doing the drawing yourself will help you remember the anatomy better by harnessing something called the generation effect. I have used the most simple shapes possible. Go ahead and grab some paper and a pen or pencil and get started.

First Step: Draw a nose. Don’t kill yourself, we just want a landmark for telling medial from lateral.

Second Step: Draw a square lateral to the nose, representing the bony orbit. The medial wall of the orbit consists in large part of the ethmoid bone, the zygoma forms the lateral orbital wall and the frontal bone and maxilla form the roof and floor respectively.

Third Step: Draw an eyeball in the center of the orbit.

Fourth Step: Draw the four rectus muscles (superior, medial, inferior and lateral) around the eyeball.

Fifth Step: Draw the two oblique muscles (superior and inferior) around the eyeball.

Done! Now work on learning the muscle functions.