Mediastinum

Start with boundaries

The page includes two quizzes called The Mediastinum. One asks about the superior, inferior, lateral and anterior boundaries. The other asks what the mediastinum is and includes a labeling question about its regions. Start with the boundary questions to see which terms you can recall, then use the labeling quiz to practice recognizing the regions.

A flashcard deck called The Thorax: Mediastinum also asks about boundaries, contents and the division into superior and inferior parts. Use its questions to review the same terms in another format.

Use maps and quizzes together

The Mediastinum mind map shows superior and inferior regions alongside borders such as the thoracic inlet, transverse thoracic plane and diaphragm. Another map, Inferior Mediastinum, covers the anterior, middle and posterior regions and their boundaries.

Look over a map, then return to a quiz and answer without referring to it. Afterward, use the map to review terms you want to practice again. This gives you a way to move between an overview and individual questions.

Explore structures and nerves

The page also lists a flashcard deck on the mediastinum and heart in situ. Its prompts ask about structures on the left and right sides of the mediastinum and the relation of the phrenic and vagus nerves to the root of the lung. Nerves of the Superior Mediastinum offers flashcards on the right and left vagus and phrenic nerves.

For another view of the superior region, a Mediastinum mind map lists borders and structures including the aortic arch and branches. Compare its terms with the flashcard prompts as you study.

Place the topic in the unit

Mediastinum is a section of the Thorax unit in Anatomy. The resources on this page let you work from the overall boundaries and regions toward selected structures within them. Choose a map or deck that matches the part you want to explore next.