Zygote Body: A New Interactive 3-Dimensional Didactical Tool for Teaching Anatomy

Introduction: As medical education has progressed exponentially over the past decades, there are unanimous concerns regarding the decline in students' knowledge of anatomy. Teaching anatomies is becoming increasingly challenging as students are becoming more technology-dependent and have to gain an understanding of complex anatomical structures in a relatively short time. Zygote Body® is a novel interface with potential to facilitate learning of human anatomy. This study investigates its relevancy and appropriateness for use in anatomy education for medical students. Methods: After integration of the web-based application, questionnaires were used to gain feedback from first year medical students (n=73). Results: Data analysis revealed significant improvements in student’s comprehension as well as their excitement for such innovations. Discussion: The software succeeds at engaging students and suggests that their comprehension of complex 3D structures was improved. However, because of its limitations, this web-based tool cannot be used as a definite tool for learning anatomy. Although multimedia may compliment the learning process, nothing can substitute living anatomy in a safe environment before handling patients.