A1C
A blood test showing your average blood sugar over about the past 3 months; used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes.[1]
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
A bulge in the wall of the aorta in the abdomen. A large one can burst. Men 65–75 who have ever smoked are advised to have a one-time ultrasound.[2]
Aorta
The body's largest artery, carrying blood from the heart down through the chest and abdomen.[3]
Atherosclerosis
A build-up of fatty plaque inside artery walls that narrows them. It causes most heart attacks and many strokes.[4]
Blood pressure
The force of blood against artery walls, written as two numbers (top: when the heart beats; bottom: between beats).[6]
Bone density scan (DEXA)
A quick, low-dose X-ray that measures bone density, usually at the hip and spine.[7]
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
A non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that can squeeze the urethra and change urine flow. Common with age.[8]
Cartilage
Firm, smooth tissue that covers bone ends in joints and forms the knee's menisci.[9]
Colonoscopy
A test in which a doctor looks inside the whole colon with a thin, flexible camera, and can remove polyps.[10]
Coronary artery
The arteries on the surface of the heart that supply the heart muscle itself with blood.[11]
Erectile dysfunction (ED)
Trouble getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sex. It can be an early sign of blood-vessel disease.[12]
Fatty liver disease (MASLD)
Extra fat stored in the liver, linked to overweight and type 2 diabetes. Formerly called NAFLD.[13]
Femoral neck (hip)
The narrow part of the thigh bone just below the ball of the hip joint; the usual site of hip fractures.[14]
Fragility fracture
A broken bone from a fall from standing height or less — a sign bones may be weak. Hip, spine and wrist are typical sites.[15]
Gout
Sudden, very painful joint swelling caused by uric acid crystals — often at the base of the big toe.[16]
LDL cholesterol
Often called 'bad' cholesterol: higher levels add to plaque in the arteries.[18]
Low-dose CT (LDCT)
A CT scan of the chest using a low dose of radiation, used to screen some people with a heavy smoking history for lung cancer.[19]
Melanoma
A serious type of skin cancer that starts in pigment cells. A new or changing mole is worth a check.[21]
Osteoarthritis
The most common arthritis: the tissues in a joint break down over time, causing pain and stiffness.[9]
Osteoporosis
Bones that have become thin and weak enough to break easily, often from a minor fall.[22]
Pack-year
A measure of smoking: packs a day times years smoked. One pack a day for 20 years = 20 pack-years.[19]
Polyp
A small growth on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Some types can turn into cancer over years.[23]
Prediabetes
Blood sugar higher than normal but not yet in the diabetes range. Lifestyle changes can often stop it progressing.[24]
Prostate
A walnut-sized gland below the bladder that wraps around the urethra and adds fluid to semen.[25]
PSA (prostate-specific antigen)
A protein made by the prostate. A blood test measures it; a raised level can have many causes, including BPH, infection or cancer.[26]
Rectum
The last part of the large intestine, just before the anus. (Not modelled separately here — the nearest part, the sigmoid colon, is shown.)[27]
Rotator cuff
Four muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder joint together and turn the arm.[28]
Sciatica
Pain running from the lower back down the back of the leg, usually from a pressed nerve root.[30]
Seminal vesicle
A pair of glands behind the bladder that make much of the fluid in semen.[25]
Sleep apnea
Breathing that repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, often because the throat narrows. Loud snoring is a common sign.[31]
Statin
A medicine that lowers LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart attack and stroke.[18]
Testosterone
The main male sex hormone, made mostly in the testes. It affects muscle, bone, sex drive and sperm production.[25]
Urethra
The tube that carries urine — and in men, semen — out of the body. It runs through the prostate.[5]
Sources
- NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Diabetes Tests & Diagnosis. Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Screening (December 2019). Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Heart. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Atherosclerosis. Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Introduction to the Urinary System. Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Hypertension in Adults: Screening (April 2021). Checked 23 October 2026.
- Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. Bone Density Exam/Testing. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Prostate Enlargement (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia). Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Osteoarthritis. Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Colorectal Cancer: Screening (May 2021). Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How the Heart Works: Anatomy. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Appendicular Skeleton. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Osteoporosis. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Gout. Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Kidneys. Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Statin Use for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults (August 2022). Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Lung Cancer: Screening (final recommendation, March 2021). Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Axial Skeleton. Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute. Melanoma Treatment (PDQ®) – Patient Version. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Osteoporosis in Men. Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute. Colorectal Cancer Screening (PDQ®) – Patient Version. Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Screening (August 2021). Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Male Reproductive System. Checked 23 October 2026.
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Prostate Cancer: Screening (May 2018; an update is in progress). Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Your Digestive System & How It Works. Checked 23 October 2026.
- National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. Introduction to the Muscular System. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Siparsky PN, Kirkendall DT, Garrett WE Jr. Sports Health 2014;6(1):36–40. Muscle Changes in Aging: Understanding Sarcopenia (peer-reviewed review). Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Back Pain. Checked 23 October 2026.
- NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sleep Apnea. Checked 23 October 2026.
The owner of this website is not a doctor. Human Atlas provides educational anatomy information and does not diagnose, stage, or treat disease. Talk to a qualified clinician about anything concerning your own health.