HLTH1008 Human Anatomy 101
The Complete Exam Bible · S2 2026HLTH1008 Overview
- 6 units
- University of Adelaide
- Semester 2 2026
- Level 1 course
- Weekly anatomy laboratory
Human Anatomy 101 is a first-year course at the University of Adelaide that studies the structure and function of the musculoskeletal, peripheral nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems and the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, together with the biomechanics of individual joints.
- Assessed by Two spotter tests in the laboratory and a final in-person exam
- Hardest step Turning a lost movement or numb patch into the nerve and level injured
- How to prepare Name structures on labelled lab images, then add their attachment, nerve and action
What you get in the full HLTH1008 Exam Bible
- 14 chapters, 77 pages — every examinable topic, week by week
- 34 original practice questions, each with a model answer in the Final in-person examination format
- 14 worked examples, solved the way HLTH1008 marks
- 20 computed figures, redrawn from the course’s own numbers
- Exam-morning plan for the Final in-person examination (35%) — what to revise last, where marks are lost
Free on this page: assessment table, chapter map, one worked example, key terms, FAQ. The rest is in the full exam bible.
How HLTH1008 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Anatomy Test 1 | 25% | Short response spotter test in the anatomy laboratory in Week 6, during your practical class; covers Weeks 1 to 5 |
| Practical Anatomy Test 2 | 40% | Short response spotter test in the anatomy laboratory in Week 13, held on 10, 11 and 13 November; covers Weeks 1 to 12 |
| Final in-person examination | 35% | Exam in the end-of-year examination period; Canvas lists 99 questions, 120 points and a 150-minute limit, with about 60% multiple choice |
These weights are published on the University course page for HLTH1008, which lists Short Response Questions at 25% and 40% and an Exam at 35%, and they match the Canvas assessment items for Semester 2 2026. One line of the course roadmap describes Practical Test 1 as worth 20%; that figure would leave the three tasks short of 100%, so the published 25% is shown here. The exam item title gives 9am on 20 November 2026, while the Canvas exam item is set to open on 26 November; check the official examination timetable and Canvas for the confirmed date. The course materials available here do not state a hurdle or a minimum mark for any task; check the course outline on Canvas for pass requirements.
What other students are asking about HLTH1008
- Where can I find lecture notes or study guides for HLTH1008 at adelaide?
- The HLTH1008 study guide in AskSia Library covers Human Anatomy 101 in 14 chapters, with the assessment table, a chapter-by-chapter topic map, key terms and a worked example, free to read on this page.
- Is there a final exam in HLTH1008, and how much is it worth?
- Yes. In the offering this AskSia Library guide is built from, Final in-person examination carries 35% of the HLTH1008 mark; the full split is Practical Anatomy Test 1 25%, Practical Anatomy Test 2 40%, Final in-person examination 35%.
- What does HLTH1008 cover on the bony pelvis, sacroiliac joint and pelvimetry?
- In AskSia Library's HLTH1008 guide, the The Bony Pelvis, Sacroiliac Joint and Pelvimetry chapter explains hip bone parts, inlet and outlet diameters, male and female pelvis, sacral nutation, pelvic tilt and the sciatic foramina.
- What does HLTH1008 cover on pelvic floor, perineum and gluteal region?
- In AskSia Library's HLTH1008 guide, the Pelvic Floor, Perineum and Gluteal Region chapter explains levator ani and pelvic floor weakness, perineal pouches, the pudendal nerve, gluteal muscles, lateral rotators and trochanteric bursae.
- What does HLTH1008 cover on hip joint anatomy and biomechanics?
- In AskSia Library's HLTH1008 guide, the Hip Joint Anatomy and Biomechanics chapter explains femoral head blood supply and neck fractures, capsule and ligaments, inclination and torsion, abductor moments and Trendelenburg gait.
Current HLTH1008 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 10, 11 and 13 November 2026 | Practical Anatomy Test 2 | Week 13, in your own practical class time in the anatomy laboratory |
| 16 to 29 November 2026 | End-of-year examination weeks | The final in-person examination is held in this period |
| 20 November 2026 | Final examination, as titled on Canvas | The same Canvas item is set to open on 26 November; check the examination timetable |
Dates are as published in the Semester 2 2026 course roadmap and assessment items on Canvas. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What HLTH1008 covers
The course works region by region: joints and the pelvis, the lower limb and its nerves, the spine and back, the upper limb and brachial plexus, then the thorax, the urinary and reproductive organs and the abdomen.
Anatomical Terms, Joints and Cartilage
Planes and relational terms, fibrous, cartilaginous and synovial joints, cartilage types, bone shapes and muscle tissueThis chapter sets up the vocabulary the rest of the course depends on.
- Planes, axes and relational terms
- Fibrous joints: suture, gomphosis, syndesmosis
- Primary and secondary cartilaginous joints
- Synovial joints by number of axes
- Hyaline, elastic and fibrocartilage
- Bone shapes and the axial skeleton
The Bony Pelvis, Sacroiliac Joint and Pelvimetry
Hip bone parts, inlet and outlet diameters, male and female pelvis, sacral nutation, pelvic tilt and the sciatic foraminaThe bony pelvis is taught as a ring with openings that must be measured.
- Ilium, ischium, pubis and the triradiate cartilage
- Inlet and outlet diameters
- Male and female pelvis compared
- Sacrospinous, sacrotuberous and iliolumbar ligaments
- Greater and lesser sciatic foramina
- Nutation and counternutation
Pelvic Floor, Perineum and Gluteal Region
Levator ani and pelvic floor weakness, perineal pouches, the pudendal nerve, gluteal muscles, lateral rotators and trochanteric bursaeThis chapter moves from the floor of the pelvis to the buttock. It defines the pelvic diaphragm, its four functions and the causes of pelvic floor weakness, using a case of stress incontinence.
- Levator ani and ischiococcygeus
- Functions of the pelvic floor
- Causes of pelvic floor weakness
- Perineal triangles and pouches
- Course and supply of the pudendal nerve
- Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus
Hip Joint Anatomy and Biomechanics
Femoral head blood supply and neck fractures, capsule and ligaments, inclination and torsion, abductor moments and Trendelenburg gaitThe hip carries the weight of the head, arms and trunk on the femoral head. This chapter starts with a fall that fractures the femoral neck and uses it to explain the blood supply of the head and why distal fractures have a better prognosis.
- Retinacular blood supply of the femoral head
- Femoral neck fracture sites and avascular necrosis
- Iliofemoral, pubofemoral and ischiofemoral ligaments
- Acetabular labrum and congruent positions
- Angle of inclination and coxa valga or vara
- Angle of torsion, anteversion and retroversion
Thigh Compartments and the Femoral Triangle
Anterior, medial and posterior compartments with their nerves, the femoral sheath and canal, adductor canal and hiatusThe thigh is organised into fascial compartments, each with its own main nerve: femoral in front, obturator medially and sciatic behind.
- Anterior compartment and the femoral nerve
- Medial compartment and the obturator nerve
- Posterior compartment and the sciatic nerve
- Femoral triangle, sheath and canal
- Adductor canal and adductor hiatus
- Profunda femoris and the popliteal artery
Knee Joint, Popliteal Fossa and Leg Compartments
Screw-home locking, popliteus, cruciate and collateral ligaments, menisci, the unhappy triad, leg compartments and alignment anglesThe knee is a hinge that locks by rotation.
- Tibiofemoral and patellofemoral articulations
- Screw-home locking and unlocking
- Cruciate and collateral ligaments
- Medial and lateral menisci
- The unhappy triad
- Popliteal fossa and its contents
Ankle and Foot Complex
Talocrural mortise and ligaments, inversion and eversion injuries, subtalar coupling, arches, tarsal tunnel and plantar fasciaThe ankle and foot turn a single hinge into an adaptable platform.
- Talocrural joint, mortise and range
- Deltoid and lateral ligaments
- Inversion sprains and eversion fractures
- Subtalar joint and coupled movements
- Transverse tarsal joint and foot rigidity
- Medial and lateral longitudinal arches
Lumbosacral Plexus and Lower Limb Nerves
Plexus roots, femoral, obturator, sciatic and fibular nerves, foot drop, plantar nerves, dermatomes and nerve fieldsThis chapter brings the lower-limb nerves together as a plexus.
- Lumbar and sacral plexus roots
- Femoral and obturator nerves
- Sciatic nerve and sciatica
- Common, deep and superficial fibular nerves
- Tibial and plantar nerves
- Foot drop and lesion level
Vertebral Column, Back Muscles and Spinal Movement
Disc structure and prolapse, spinal ligaments, atlas and axis, facet mechanics, extrinsic and intrinsic back musclesThe vertebral column combines strength with movement. This chapter explains why a lumbar disc herniates posterolaterally onto a spinal nerve, then sets out the curvatures, the ligaments of the column and the two-stage whiplash injury.
- Intervertebral disc structure and prolapse
- Curvatures, lordosis, kyphosis and scoliosis
- Anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments
- Ligamentum flavum and the posterior ligaments
- Atlas, axis and craniovertebral joints
- Facet orientation and spinal movement
Shoulder Complex, Axilla and Brachial Plexus
Four shoulder joints, rotator cuff and scapulohumeral rhythm, dislocation and the axillary nerve, plexus formation and palsiesThe shoulder trades stability for range.
- Sternoclavicular and acromioclavicular joints
- Scapulothoracic movement
- Glenohumeral stability and labral tears
- Rotator cuff and impingement
- Scapulohumeral rhythm
- Anteroinferior dislocation and the axillary nerve
Elbow, Forearm, Wrist and Hand
Elbow joints and carrying angle, prime movers, ulnar, median and radial nerve lesions, carpal bones and the snuff boxThis chapter covers the joints and nerves from the elbow to the fingers.
- Humeroulnar, humeroradial and radioulnar joints
- Carrying angle
- Pronation and supination
- Elbow ligaments and pulled elbow
- Prime movers of the elbow and forearm
- Ulnar nerve lesions at two levels
Thorax, Lungs and Heart
Ribs and thoracic joints, quiet and forced breathing, lobes, fissures and segments, pleura, heart chambers and great vesselsThe thorax is a moving cage around the lungs and heart. This chapter classifies the ribs and their joints, compares quiet and forced breathing with the muscles each uses, and describes the diaphragm and intercostals.
- True, false and floating ribs
- Rib joints and chest movements
- Quiet and forced breathing
- Diaphragm and intercostal muscles
- Right and left lungs, lobes and fissures
- Bronchopulmonary segments and the hilum
Urinary and Reproductive Systems
Ureteric stone sites, nephron zones, male and female urethra, sperm pathway and glands, uterus, tube and ovaryThis chapter covers the organs of the urinary and reproductive systems. It works through renal colic to explain the three sites where a ureteric stone lodges, sorts the parts of the nephron into cortex and medulla, and compares the male and female urethra.
- Ureteric calculi and lodgement sites
- Kidney surfaces, vessels and blood flow
- Nephron parts by kidney zone
- Male and female urethra compared
- Testis, epididymis and ductus deferens
- Seminal vesicles, prostate and semen
Digestive Organs, Abdominal Wall and Vessels
Liver and biliary tree, gut and solid organs, abdominal wall muscles, inguinal canal and hernia, aorta and portal circulationThe abdomen is taught as organs, a wall and a set of vessels. This chapter covers the liver, its double blood supply, lobes and porta hepatis, the gall bladder and biliary tree, the parts of the stomach and intestines, and the pancreas and spleen.
- Liver blood supply, lobes and porta hepatis
- Gall bladder and biliary tree
- Stomach, small and large intestine
- Pancreas and spleen
- Abdominal wall muscles and rectus sheath
- Inguinal canal and hernias
Lectures are online and recorded, and each week brings a two-hour practical in the anatomy laboratory with bones, models, prosected specimens and labelled wet and dry lab photographs. The course moves region by region.
It opens with anatomical terminology and the classification of joints and cartilage, then spends its first five weeks on the pelvis and lower limb: pelvimetry and sacral movement, the pelvic floor and gluteal region, the hip and its angles, the compartments of the thigh and leg, the knee and its locking mechanism, the ankle and foot, and the lumbosacral plexus.
The middle weeks turn to the vertebral column and back muscles, then the shoulder complex, axilla and brachial plexus, and the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand. The final weeks cover the thorax, lungs and heart, the urinary and reproductive systems, and the digestive organs, abdominal wall and major vessels. Assessment rewards two linked skills.
In the two practical spotter tests you identify a flagged structure and then answer a second question about its attachment, action, nerve supply or a structure at risk. In the final examination, most questions are multiple choice and the rest are short answers, many built on clinical scenarios such as a nerve injury, a fracture or a ureteric stone.
This guide follows the weekly topics in fourteen chapters, each pairing structure with function and with the clinical reasoning those questions ask for.
Worked example · free
Locating a nerve injury from lost movements and spared skin
- +1Lost movements: dorsiflexion and inversion are actions of the anterior compartment of the leg, led by tibialis anterior.
- +1Spared functions: eversion and the skin of the dorsum of the foot belong to the superficial fibular nerve, so that branch is intact.
- +1A common fibular lesion at the neck of the fibula would remove both branches, so the injury lies beyond the division, in the deep fibular nerve.
- +1Affected muscles: tibialis anterior, fibularis tertius, extensor digitorum longus and extensor hallucis longus; check the first web space, the nerve's only skin area.
Key terms
- Symphysis
- A secondary cartilaginous joint in which a fibrocartilage pad separates two hyaline-covered bone ends.
- Nutation
- Forward flexion of the sacrum at the sacroiliac joint, which narrows the pelvic brim and widens the outlet.
- Pelvic diaphragm
- The muscular floor of the pelvis formed by levator ani and ischiococcygeus with their fascia.
- Angle of inclination
- The frontal-plane angle between the femoral neck and the shaft, about 125° in adults.
- Retinacular arteries
- Branches of the circumflex femoral arteries that run along the femoral neck to supply the head.
- Screw-home mechanism
- Lateral rotation of the tibia in the last degrees of extension that locks the knee.
- Unhappy triad
- Combined injury of the anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus.
- Tarsal tunnel
- The space under the flexor retinaculum behind the medial malleolus that carries the tibial nerve.
- Foot drop
- Inability to lift the foot at the ankle, caused by loss of the deep fibular nerve or its parent nerve.
- Dermatome
- An area of skin supplied by the fibres of a single spinal nerve.
- Rotator cuff
- Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis, which hold the humeral head in the glenoid.
- Carrying angle
- The lateral angle of the extended, supinated forearm relative to the humerus.
- Bronchopulmonary segment
- A lung unit aerated by a tertiary bronchus with its own artery and vein.
- Portocaval anastomosis
- A site where portal and systemic veins meet, such as the lower oesophagus and rectum.
HLTH1008 FAQ
How is Human Anatomy 101 assessed in Semester 2 2026?
There are three tasks. Practical Anatomy Test 1 is worth 25% and runs in Week 6, Practical Anatomy Test 2 is worth 40% and runs in Week 13, and the final in-person examination is worth 35% in the end-of-year exam period. The University course page and the Canvas items give these weights.
What happens at a spotter station in the practical tests?
A structure on a bone, model, specimen or image is flagged or pinned. You identify it, then answer a second linked question, usually an attachment, an action, a nerve supply or a structure at risk. The course says most items come from the test items list it provides, so revise that list closely.
What is the final examination like?
The Canvas exam item lists 99 questions worth 120 points with a 150-minute time limit, sat in person under supervision. The course says roughly 60% are multiple choice, and the rest are short answers, often built on clinical scenarios such as nerve injuries, fractures or ureteric stones.
Where do the multiple-choice questions come from?
The exam information says almost all of them are drawn from the weekly basic and advanced quizzes on Canvas and from the Kahoot questions worked through in practical classes. Practising both banks until every wrong option can be explained is the most direct preparation the course recommends.
How should I revise the laboratory material?
Use the labelled wet and dry lab photographs and the weekly answers to the practical activities. Cover the labels, name each structure aloud with its side, then add one linked fact such as an attachment or nerve. Timing yourself builds the pace a test station needs.
Which topics need the most clinical reasoning?
Nerve injury scenarios are the main ones: deciding between the deep and common fibular nerves, an ulnar lesion at the elbow or the wrist, or a radial injury above or below the radial groove. Fracture prognosis at the femoral neck and the three ureteric stone sites are also asked repeatedly.
Do I need to buy the textbooks?
The course states that the two core texts, Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy and Levangie and Norkin's Joint Structure and Function, are not mandatory, and that both can be read online through the University library's health library subscription, in the latest or older editions.
Questions students ask in each HLTH1008 chapter
- What is the difference between a primary and a secondary cartilaginous joint?
- A primary cartilaginous joint, or synchondrosis, is joined only by hyaline cartilage, as in a growth plate or a costochondral joint. A secondary one, or symphysis, has a fibrocartilage pad between hyaline-covered bones, as in the pubic symphysis and the intervertebral joints. Chapter 01 · Anatomical Terms, Joints and Cartilage
- What are the average diameters of the pelvic inlet?
- The course gives about 10.5 to 11 cm anteroposteriorly from the pubic symphysis to the sacral promontory, about 12 to 12.5 cm obliquely from one sacroiliac joint to the opposite iliopubic eminence, and about 13 to 13.5 cm transversely across the widest part of the brim. Chapter 02 · The Bony Pelvis, Sacroiliac Joint and Pelvimetry
- What weakens the pelvic floor?
- The course lists hormonal change in pregnancy and childbirth, surgery, a chronic cough or chronic constipation, being overweight, inactivity and ageing. It adds that pelvic floor exercises improve strength, which is why they are the usual first approach to symptoms such as leaking on coughing. Chapter 03 · Pelvic Floor, Perineum and Gluteal Region
- Why does a fractured neck of femur leave the leg short and turned out?
- The Week 3 answers explain that muscle spasm pulls the distal fragment upward, shortening the limb, while the lateral rotators turn it outward. Older women are most at risk because osteoporosis lowers bone density, and atherosclerosis may already have reduced blood flow to the head. Chapter 04 · Hip Joint Anatomy and Biomechanics
- Where can the femoral artery be felt?
- At the mid-inguinal point, just below the inguinal ligament, where the external iliac artery has become the femoral artery. The Week 3 answers also describe this site as the usual point for passing a catheter for angiography, which is why its position in the femoral triangle is examined. Chapter 05 · Thigh Compartments and the Femoral Triangle
- Why does the knee lock in full extension?
- The lateral femoral condyle has a shorter articular surface than the medial one, so it finishes rolling and gliding first in the last 30° of extension. The final 5° then comes from lateral rotation of the tibia, which tightens the ligaments and seats the menisci in the close-packed position. Chapter 06 · Knee Joint, Popliteal Fossa and Leg Compartments
- What passes through the tarsal tunnel?
- From front to back, the lecture lists tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, the posterior tibial artery with its veins, the tibial nerve and flexor hallucis longus. The flexor retinaculum forms the roof and the medial surface of the calcaneus forms the floor of the tunnel. Chapter 07 · Ankle and Foot Complex
- How is a dermatome different from a peripheral nerve field?
- A dermatome is the skin supplied by one spinal nerve, such as S1 along the lateral border of the foot. A peripheral nerve field is the skin supplied by one named cutaneous nerve, such as the superficial fibular nerve on the dorsum of the foot, and one field may contain several dermatomes. Chapter 08 · Lumbosacral Plexus and Lower Limb Nerves
- Why do lumbar discs herniate posterolaterally?
- At the back the annulus fibrosus has fewer, thinner lamellae, so the nucleus pulposus sits posteriorly and escapes posterolaterally through a degenerate annulus. Spinal nerves leave the intervertebral foramen just there, so the herniation compresses a nerve and pain follows its distribution. Chapter 09 · Vertebral Column, Back Muscles and Spinal Movement
- Why does the shoulder usually dislocate anteroinferiorly?
- The anterior and inferior parts of the glenohumeral capsule are its weakest, and the humeral head sits on a shallow glenoid that relies on soft tissue for stability. The lecture lists the capsule, labrum, ligaments, nerves and vessels as structures at risk when the head is driven forward and down. Chapter 10 · Shoulder Complex, Axilla and Brachial Plexus
- What is the carrying angle and how large is it?
- It is the lateral angle between the long axes of the humerus and the forearm with the elbow extended and supinated, a physiological cubitus valgus that keeps a carried load clear of the thigh. One lecture gives 8 to 15°, the biomechanics lecture 10 to 15° in males and 15 to 20° in females. Chapter 11 · Elbow, Forearm, Wrist and Hand
- How does quiet breathing differ from forced breathing?
- In quiet breathing the diaphragm and external intercostals produce inspiration and expiration is passive elastic recoil. In forced breathing accessory muscles such as sternocleidomastoid, the scalenes and pectoral muscles help inspiration, and the abdominal muscles and internal intercostals make expiration active. Chapter 12 · Thorax, Lungs and Heart
- How long are the male and female urethrae?
- The reproductive lecture gives 18 to 22 cm for the male urethra, with prostatic, membranous, bulbar and penile parts, and about 38 mm for the female urethra, which opens into the vestibule in front of the vaginal orifice. The final exam item list asks for this comparison. Chapter 13 · Urinary and Reproductive Systems
- How much of the liver's blood comes from the portal vein?
- About 70 to 80%, with the remaining 20 to 30% from the hepatic artery, according to the Week 11 lecture. Three hepatic veins then drain the liver into the inferior vena cava, and the portal vein itself is formed by the superior mesenteric and splenic veins. Chapter 14 · Digestive Organs, Abdominal Wall and Vessels
How to study for the exam
Revise the way the course is examined: structure first, then the linked fact. Each week, take the labelled lab photographs for that region and name every structure without looking, then add one attachment, one action or one nerve for each.
Work through the weekly basic and advanced quizzes and the Kahoot answers until you can explain why every wrong option is wrong, because the final draws most of its multiple-choice questions from them.
For Test 1, concentrate on the pelvis, hip, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, foot and lumbosacral plexus taught in Weeks 1 to 5. For Test 2, revise the whole test items list from Weeks 1 to 12, giving extra time to the upper limb, thorax and abdomen.
For the final, practise short answers in two halves: name the structure, then give the consequence, such as the muscles and skin lost in a nerve injury or the vessel at risk in a fracture. Finish with the biomechanics items, the angles of the hip and knee, abductor moments and scapulohumeral rhythm, writing the change and then its effect.
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