CITIZEN SCIENCE

THE medical breakthroughs helped by ordinary people. This week: Anatomy.

SCIENTISTS have created the world’s biggest anatomy quiz to find out how much people know about their bodies — and ultimately improve healthcare.

The interactive, online quiz, designed by a team at Lancaster University and the research platform Zooniverse, asks volunteers to label 25 specific organ types or muscles (without looking them up). So far, more than 8,500 people have participated.

The scientists found that people cannot pinpoint some vital organs. Only 15 per cent could correctly label their adrenal glands, which secrete hormones. The hope is that by identifying the gaps in our knowledge, medical training could be boosted in these areas so that doctors and nurses are better able to explain lesser known conditions to patients.