Medicine in human terms: the art and science of being alive.What happens beneath our skin? How does the human body maintain its balance, respond to disease, and adapt to the world around us?Flesh&amp;Bones explores anatomy, physiology, pathology, and clinical reasoning through accessible, evidence-informed storytelling. Each episode takes a complex medical concept and makes it understandable without sacrificing the scientific details that matter.Created for medical students, healthcare professionals, and anyone curious about the human body, the podcast connects fundamental biological mechanisms with the human experience of health and illness.This English edition accompanies Flesh&amp;Bones en Español, offering equivalent educational content across two languages. Together, the editions also provide an opportunity to explore and compare medical terminology in English and Spanish.Flesh&amp;Bones provides educational information and does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/a54c5777-4470-4c60-a91c-7555d125cba1_sode_11_digestion_absorption_and_metabolism_en.mp3

What really happens to food after we eat it?We trace its journey from mechanical and chemical digestion to nutrient absorption and cellular use. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats move from components of a meal to sources of energy, stored reserves, and materials the body needs for maintenance, growth, and repair.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Follow carbohydrates, proteins, and fats through digestion, nutrient absorption, metabolism, energy storage, and tissue repair.

Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/c8bc6749-1f3d-434a-ae09-6b3a6c33a3e5_y_of_the_human_body_systems_the_big_picture_en.mp3

After examining individual structures, we widen the lens to see the human body as a whole.We review the major organ systems, where they are located, what they do, and how they depend on one another. This panoramic anatomical overview connects structures, physiological functions, and the relationships that allow the body to operate as an integrated organism.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Vasković J, McLaren N. Human body systems: overview, anatomy, functions [Internet]. Kenhub; 2023 [cited 2026 Oct 5]. Available from: <a href="https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/human-body-systems" rel="nofollow">https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/human-body-systems</a></li><li>Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

A guided anatomical overview of the major human body systems and the way their structures and functions connect.

Human Body Systems: An Anatomical Overview

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/2b04a3c2-363f-4524-8113-9a759464b374__when_pain_strikes_the_right_lower_quadrant_en.mp3

Appendicitis may begin as difficult-to-localize abdominal pain and evolve within hours into a problem requiring urgent medical attention.We follow the obstruction and inflammation of the appendix, explain why pain can shift toward the lower right abdomen, and explore the roles of clinical history, examination, and imaging in diagnosis. We also discuss perforation, treatment options, and why timing matters.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Breeding E, Conran RM. Educational case: acute appendicitis. Acad Pathol. 2020;7:2374289520926640. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2374289520926640" rel="nofollow">10.1177/2374289520926640</a>.</li><li>Lotfollahzadeh S, Lopez RA, Deppen JG. Appendicitis. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Learn why appendicitis pain can migrate, how the diagnosis is evaluated, and what complications and treatment decisions clinicians consider.

Acute Appendicitis: When Pain Moves to the Right Lower Quadrant

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/877d0ddd-a77e-4225-b0d7-957310481592__system_physiology_the_bodys_command_center_en.mp3

Sensation, thought, memory, and movement depend on an immense network of neurons and neural circuits.We investigate how the nervous system receives information, generates electrical signals, uses neurotransmitters, and organizes responses. Rather than memorizing isolated terms, we focus on the physiological logic that allows the brain, spinal cord, and nerves to coordinate the body.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Explore neurons, electrical signaling, neurotransmitters, and neural circuits to understand how the nervous system coordinates the body.

Nervous System Physiology: The Body’s Command Center

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/97f54485-4689-439c-aec6-743b96369438_sode_07_the_muscular_system_power_in_motion_en.mp3

Movement, posture, heat production, and even the beating of the heart depend on muscle tissue.We explore skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle, moving from the microscopic organization of muscle fibers to the work performed by whole muscles. This is a tour of a system that transforms electrical signals and cellular energy into coordinated movement.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Explore skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle, from microscopic muscle fibers to the coordinated movements that support daily life.

The Muscular System: Power in Motion

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/b2cbccde-b0c8-4498-b508-ae036a40ae66_sode_06_asthma_when_work_becomes_breathless_en.mp3

A woman who works baking bread develops coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Gradually, a pattern emerges: her symptoms are linked to her work.Using this case, we explain asthma, what happens inside inflamed airways, how spirometry and peak expiratory flow measurements can support the evaluation, and why the workplace environment may matter for both diagnosis and management.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Uppal N, Tarlo SM. A case of asthma in a baker [Internet]. New York: American Thoracic Society; [cited 2026 Oct 5]. Available from: <a href="https://www.thoracic.org/professionals/clinical-resources/asthma-center/case-of-asthma-in-a-baker.php" rel="nofollow">https://www.thoracic.org/professionals/clinical-resources/asthma-center/case-of-asthma-in-a-baker.php</a></li><li>Sinyor B, Concepcion Perez L. Pathophysiology of asthma. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

A bakery worker develops symptoms linked to her workplace. Learn about airway inflammation, asthma testing, and the importance of occupational exposures.

Asthma: When Work Takes Your Breath Away

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The heart and lungs are often studied separately, yet they operate as parts of a single functional system.We follow oxygen from the surrounding air to the tissues and carbon dioxide on its journey back to the lungs. Pulmonary and systemic circulation, gas exchange, hemoglobin, ventilation, and perfusion reveal how breathing and circulation form one continuous physiological conversation.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Chaudhry R, Miao JH, Rehman A. Physiology, cardiovascular. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.</li><li>Powers KA, Dhamoon AS. Physiology, pulmonary ventilation and perfusion. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Follow oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and back through an introduction to circulation, gas exchange, hemoglobin, ventilation, and perfusion.

The Symphony of Circulation and Breathing

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/16/133a3360-080e-4fb3-8531-144be367d637_4_the_skeletal_system_our_framework_of_life_en.mp3

The skeleton does much more than hold us upright.We explore bones, cartilage, joints, growth, repair, and bone remodeling. Along the way, we see how the skeletal system protects organs, stores minerals, supports blood cell production, and provides the framework on which muscles generate movement.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.</li><li>Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Explore bones, cartilage, joints, and bone remodeling, and discover how the skeleton contributes to protection, mineral storage, blood cell production, and movement.

The Skeletal System: The Framework That Supports Us

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A 66-year-old man arrives at the hospital after hours of severe chest pain. What follows allows us to trace the physiology of a myocardial infarction step by step.We examine atherosclerosis, coronary artery obstruction, electrocardiographic changes, myocardial injury, cardiogenic shock, and mechanical complications. This clinical case illustrates why time can profoundly influence the outcome of a heart attack.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Ribeiro WN, Yamada AT, Benvenuti LA. Case 4/2014: a 66-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction and death in asystole after primary coronary angioplasty. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2014;103(3):e31-e36. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.5935/abc.20140129" rel="nofollow">10.5935/abc.20140129</a>.</li><li>Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al. Fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction (2018). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(18):2231-2264. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1038" rel="nofollow">10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1038</a>.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Follow a clinical case of myocardial infarction and explore coronary obstruction, ECG changes, myocardial damage, cardiogenic shock, and the importance of timely care.

A Heart in Crisis: Understanding Myocardial Infarction

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/8/2/b0a40cd1-04b2-4890-a3f8-571db82f87e3_s_episode_02_homeostasis_and_feedback_loops_en.mp3

How does the body remain stable while everything around us changes?We explore homeostasis and the sensors, control centers, and effectors that regulate variables such as temperature, blood glucose, and blood pressure. We also explain negative feedback and amplifying feedback mechanisms, showing how the body constantly responds, corrects, and adapts.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Kiesewetter A, Schmiemann P. Understanding homeostatic regulation: the role of relationships and conditions in feedback loop reasoning. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2022;21(3):ar56. doi:10.1187/cbe.21-04-0092.</li><li>Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

An introduction to homeostasis, negative and positive feedback, and the physiological systems that help maintain a stable internal environment.

Homeostasis and Feedback Systems

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From a single cell to a complete organism, the human body is organized into interconnected levels that depend on one another.In this opening episode of Flesh&amp;Bones, we explore cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems, building a foundation for understanding how anatomy and physiology fit together. An introduction for medical students and anyone curious about how the human body is structured.Sources and further reading:<ol><li>Betts JG, Young KA, Wise JA, et al. Anatomy &amp; Physiology. Houston (TX): OpenStax, Rice University; 2013.</li><li>Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.</li></ol> Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

How do cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems fit together? We introduce the levels of organization of the human body and the relationship between anatomy and physiology.

Organization of the Human Body

Medicine in human terms: the art and science of being alive.

Flesh&Bones is an evidence-informed medical education podcast exploring anatomy, physiology, pathology, and clinical reasoning in accessible English.

Created by Lorenzo Fatto Offidani, the podcast is designed for medical students, healthcare professionals, and anyone curious about the human body.

The English edition accompanies Flesh&Bones en Español, providing equivalent educational content across two languages.

Visit our website for additional resources, scientific references, credits, and editorial information.