Imaginary Anatomy - Illustration Series
Our world is full of wonders, both externally and internally. Every organ, every ecosystem, every cell is perfectly designed, astonishingly beautiful and completely interdependent. If we could truly acknowledge the miracle of a single tree, our entire life would change. The breathtaking beauty of the natural world is also within each of us. We are walking miracles.
Through this series, I hope to educate, to inspire, to reacquaint people with the profundity of the perfectly ordinary. Above all, I hope to help people appreciate their own bodies and their connection to the world around them.
Miss Thistle
Every single person that has ever existed on this planet has achieved their existence thanks to the uterus. We each begin our life intimately connected with this marvelous organ. The uterus is incredibly strong (forceful enough to push out an entire baby), incredibly flexible (it grows from the size of a pear to fill a woman’s entire abdomen, then shrinks back down again) and is the only organ that can grow another organ with it (the placenta.) Above all, the uterus literally creates human life. If that’s not worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.
Blooming Breath
Typically, we don’t have to think about breathing. It’s passive, accompanying every moment of our lives. Something so ubiquitous is easy to take for granted, but this innate act is anything but simple. The lungs are comprised of an intricate system of tubular branches, called bronchi, that then spread out into ever smaller branches called bronchioles. At the end of these branches, microscopic air sacs (alveoli) absorb oxygen from the air into the bloodstream, thereby fueling all sorts of bodily functions, from digesting food to our moving muscles.
Nerve Macrame
Our nervous systems are amazingly intricate electrical superhighways. A complex combination of nerves and specialized cells (known as neurons) weave around every portion of our body. They act as a conduit, allowing our body to communicate to itself and to experience the external world.
You & Eye
Plants, according to Jack C Schultz, “are just very slow animals”. They hunt for food, evade enemies, fight for territory and even have senses. Through photosynthesis, plants respond to light. Although it behaves differently from human sight, plants can, in fact, “see.” Certain plants respond to the sound of caterpillars “munching” with chemical defenses. The Venus Fly Trap responds to touch by closing its trap. Plants even communicate with one another through their roots, sending and receiving a variety of chemical cues.
Throat Fire
The voice not only acts as a conduit for language but also communicates vital personal characteristics such as age, body size, emotional state, class identity and more. The sound of the voice is dependent upon a number of factors: vocal cord size (smaller = higher pitch, larger = lower pitch), facial bone structure (the sinuses act as a resonating chamber), the size and shape of the tongue, lips, and lungs, just to name a few. Your voice is truly as unique as your fingerprint. It is 100% yours.
Thy Thyroid
The thyroid is an unsung hero of the human body. It regulates hormones, which in turn control the metabolism, heart functions, the digestive system, muscle control, moods, bone maintenance, and brain development. Essentially, it controls the body’s use of energy, the internal fire that keeps all our cells properly functioning.
