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Free Animated Medicine Diagrams

Disease pathways, drug pharmacokinetics, ECG waves, diagnostic test math, mental health. Clinical clarity.

141 live For: Medical educators · Health journalists · Patient sites · Clinical practitioners

For medical educators, health journalists, and patient-information sites. Pharmacokinetics, half-life decay, drug-drug interactions, epidemic curves (SIR), R0 visualizations, ECG interpretation, sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV, oncology pathways, mental-health frameworks, women's and men's health.

What this is
Free, embeddable, animated diagrams covering medicine topics (pharmacology, cardiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, and more).
Who uses it
Medical educators · Health journalists · Patient sites · Clinical practitioners
How to embed
Copy one line of HTML per diagram. No signup. No watermark. Works in WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Substack, plain HTML.
Diagrams in this category
141 live (total in catalog: 141).
License
Free forever. The diagram and editorial explainer text are served from scrollchart.com so they can be updated over time to reflect new research.
URL
scrollchart.com/categories/medicine
Highlights

What you will find here

  • Pharmacokinetics and half-life decay
  • Epidemic curves and Rt
  • ECG waveform interpretation
  • Diagnostic test sensitivity, specificity, PPV
  • Oncology pathways, clinical trial phases
Sub-categories

8 topic areas in Medicine

Pharmacology

PK/PD, half-life, dose-response, drug interactions, receptor types.

23 live
Cardiology

ECG waves, arrhythmias, heart failure, myocardial infarction.

21 live
Epidemiology

SIR/SEIR, R0/Rt, herd immunity, contact tracing, vaccination curves.

16 live
Diagnostics

Sensitivity, specificity, PPV/NPV, ROC, likelihood ratios.

16 live
Oncology

Tumor growth curves, hallmarks of cancer, staging, treatment lines.

18 live
Mental health

Depression, anxiety, PTSD frameworks, SSRI mechanism, neurotransmitters.

15 live
Women's health

Menstrual cycle, pregnancy stages, menopause hormones, PCOS.

18 live
Men's health

Testosterone curves, andropause, prostate, fertility, ED mechanisms.

14 live
Catalog

Browse Medicine diagrams

All categories →

Pharmacology 23 live

PK/PD, half-life, dose-response, drug interactions, receptor types.

Medicine Rich

Wavelength vs Tissue Penetration Depth

UV stops in epidermis; red (620-700nm) reaches 2-5mm; NIR (800-1100nm) penetrates subcutaneous tissue and muscle at 5-40mm.
Medicine Medium

Pharmacokinetic Curve

Plasma concentration over time: absorption, peak (Cmax/Tmax), distribution, elimination.
Medicine Simple

Drug Half-Life

Each half-life clears 50% of drug; ~5 half-lives reach effective elimination.
Medicine Medium

Dose-Response Curve

Sigmoid curve with EC50, efficacy ceiling, potency comparisons across drugs.
Medicine Rich

Receptor Types

GPCR, ion channel, kinase, nuclear hormone, enzyme - five receptor families with distinct timescales.
Medicine Medium

Agonist vs Antagonist

Full agonist, partial agonist, inverse agonist, competitive and non-competitive antagonists.
Medicine Medium

First-Pass Effect

Oral drugs traverse gut wall and liver before systemic circulation; bioavailability often <50%.
Medicine Rich

CYP450 Drug Metabolism

CYP3A4, 2D6, 2C9, 2C19 metabolize most drugs; inhibitors and inducers cause interactions.
Medicine Medium

Volume of Distribution

Vd = dose / plasma concentration; small Vd = stays in plasma, large Vd = tissue-bound.
Medicine Medium

Steady State Dosing

Repeated doses converge to steady state at ~5 half-lives; loading dose accelerates to it.
Medicine Simple

Loading Dose Logic

Loading dose = Vd x target concentration; gives Css on dose 1.
Medicine Medium

Therapeutic Index

TI = LD50 / ED50; narrow TI drugs (warfarin, lithium, digoxin) need monitoring.
Medicine Rich

Drug-Drug Interactions

PK (absorption, metabolism, transport) and PD (additive, synergistic, antagonistic) interaction modes.
Medicine Simple

Plasma Protein Binding

Albumin-bound drug is inactive reservoir; only free drug exerts effect and is cleared.
Medicine Medium

Drug Tolerance

Receptor downregulation, enzyme induction, or behavioral compensation reduce drug effect over time.
Medicine Rich

GPCR Signaling Cascade

Ligand binds GPCR -> G-protein activation -> effector enzyme -> second messenger -> response.
Medicine Medium

CYP Enzyme Induction

Rifampin and others activate PXR/CAR, upregulating CYP3A4 and clearing other drugs faster.
Medicine Medium

Renal Drug Clearance

Filtration, tubular secretion, reabsorption - three handles on renal drug clearance.
Medicine Medium

Prodrug Activation

Enalapril, codeine, clopidogrel - inactive at administration, activated by liver enzymes.
Medicine Medium

First-Order vs Zero-Order Kinetics

Most drugs first-order (constant fraction); alcohol and phenytoin zero-order (constant amount).
Medicine Medium

Monoclonal Antibody Pharmacology

mAbs have weeks-long half-lives, IV/SC dosing, FcRn-mediated recycling, no CYP metabolism.
Medicine Rich

Opioid Receptor Pharmacology

Mu, kappa, delta receptors; full agonists, partial agonists (buprenorphine), antagonists (naloxone).
Medicine Medium

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

Measure trough levels for narrow-TI drugs; aim for therapeutic window.

Cardiology 21 live

ECG waves, arrhythmias, heart failure, myocardial infarction.

Medicine Medium

ECG PQRST Wave Complex

P wave (atrial depolarization), QRS (ventricular depolarization), T (repolarization) - the electrical heartbeat.
Medicine Rich

ECG Cardiac Cycle (Animated)

Animated heart-and-trace view of the cardiac electrical cycle: P, QRS, ST and T phases each light up the corresponding chamber and waveform segment.
Medicine Rich

ECG Interpretation Basics

Rate, rhythm, axis, intervals, waves - the systematic five-step read.
Medicine Rich

Arrhythmia Recognition

AFib, AFlutter, V-tach, V-fib, AV blocks - rhythm-strip patterns side by side.
Medicine Medium

Heart Failure Stages (NYHA & ACC/AHA)

NYHA class I-IV (functional) and ACC/AHA stage A-D (structural) frameworks compared.
Medicine Medium

STEMI Timeline and Door-to-Balloon

Symptom onset -> EMS -> ED -> cath lab; goal door-to-balloon <90 min.
Medicine Medium

Troponin Rise and Fall

High-sensitivity troponin rises within 1-3h of MI, peaks at 24h, normalizes over 7-10 days.
Medicine Rich

STEMI ECG Patterns by Territory

Anterior, inferior, lateral, posterior STEMIs each show distinct lead patterns.
Medicine Rich

Atrial Fibrillation Pathophysiology

Disorganized atrial electrical activity, multiple wavelets or pulmonary vein triggers.
Medicine Medium

AV Blocks Progression

1st degree (PR>200), 2nd Mobitz I (Wenckebach), Mobitz II, 3rd degree (complete dissociation).
Medicine Medium

Heart Failure GDMT Four Pillars

ARNI/ACEi, beta-blocker, MRA, SGLT2i - the four foundational HF medications.
Medicine Simple

Ejection Fraction Classes

HFrEF (<40%), HFmrEF (41-49%), HFpEF (>=50%) - distinct epidemiology and treatment.
Medicine Rich

Cardiac Cath Coronary Tree

LAD, LCx, RCA branching with diagonal, marginal, OM, PDA territories.
Medicine Rich

Valve Disease: Stenosis vs Regurgitation

Aortic stenosis, MR, AR, mitral stenosis - flow patterns and pressure-volume effects.
Medicine Medium

Pacemaker Modes (NBG Code)

AAI, VVI, DDD, biventricular - paced/sensed/response by chamber.
Medicine Rich

Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema Cycle

LV failure feeds itself: high LA pressure leaks into alveoli, hypoxia drives sympathetic surge, afterload climbs, the LV decompensates further.
Medicine Simple

Hypertension Treatment Targets

Stage 1, stage 2, hypertensive emergency - thresholds and treatment intensity.
Medicine Simple

CHA2DS2-VASc Score

Stroke risk score for AFib: CHF, HTN, age, DM, stroke, vascular disease, age, sex.
Medicine Medium

Beta Blocker Selectivity

Cardioselective (B1) vs non-selective; intrinsic sympathomimetic activity; alpha-blocking properties.
Medicine Rich

Anticoagulant Targets

Warfarin (vit K), heparin (Xa/IIa via AT), DOACs (direct Xa or IIa) on the coagulation cascade.
Medicine Medium

SGLT2 Inhibitor Mechanism

Block proximal tubule glucose reabsorption; cardiorenal benefits beyond glucose lowering.

Oncology 18 live

Tumor growth curves, hallmarks of cancer, staging, treatment lines.

Medicine Rich

Hallmarks of Cancer

Sustained proliferation, evading suppressors, resisting death, replicative immortality, angiogenesis, invasion, plus enabling traits.
Medicine Medium

Tumor Growth Curves

Exponential phase, then Gompertzian deceleration as tumor approaches host limits.
Medicine Medium

TNM Staging

Tumor size (T), Nodes (N), Metastasis (M) - the universal staging shorthand.
Medicine Medium

Cancer Treatment Lines

First-line, second-line, third-line - sequential regimens after progression.
Medicine Medium

Oncogenes vs Tumor Suppressors

Gain-of-function vs loss-of-function mutations: gas pedal stuck on vs brakes failed.
Medicine Rich

p53: The Guardian of the Genome

DNA damage stabilizes p53 -> cell cycle arrest, repair, or apoptosis. Lost in 50% of cancers.
Medicine Rich

Tumor Angiogenesis

Hypoxic tumor secretes VEGF; new vessels invade; growth beyond 1-2 mm requires it.
Medicine Rich

Metastatic Cascade

Local invasion -> intravasation -> circulation -> extravasation -> colonization. Most CTCs die.
Medicine Rich

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 blockade releases T cells to attack tumor.
Medicine Rich

CAR-T Cell Therapy

Patient T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptor against tumor antigen, reinfused, expand, kill.
Medicine Medium

Chemotherapy Mechanism Classes

Alkylators, antimetabolites, anthracyclines, taxanes, platinums - five major mechanism classes.
Medicine Medium

Targeted Therapy Classes

TKIs, mAbs, mTOR inhibitors, PARP inhibitors - exploit specific molecular vulnerabilities.
Medicine Medium

RECIST Response Criteria

CR, PR, SD, PD - how oncologists call response based on imaging.
Medicine Medium

Cancer Survival Curves

Kaplan-Meier survival by stage; early-stage cancers vastly outperform late-stage.
Medicine Simple

Tumor Doubling Time

Days to years per doubling - explains why some lung nodules can be safely watched.
Medicine Medium

Cancer Screening Tradeoffs

Mammography, colonoscopy, low-dose CT, PSA - benefit, harm, and NNT for each.
Medicine Medium

Knudson's Two-Hit Hypothesis

Tumor suppressor cancers need both alleles inactivated; hereditary cancers start with one hit.
Medicine Medium

Circulating Tumour DNA (Liquid Biopsy)

Tumour-derived cfDNA in plasma enables non-invasive monitoring of mutation, response, MRD.

Women's health 18 live

Menstrual cycle, pregnancy stages, menopause hormones, PCOS.

Medicine Rich

Menstrual Cycle Overview

Follicular, ovulation, luteal phases with hormone curves and endometrial state.
Medicine Rich

Pregnancy Trimesters

First (organogenesis), second (growth), third (maturation) - hormone, fetal, maternal milestones.
Medicine Rich

Menopause Hormone Shift

Estradiol drops to near-zero; FSH rises; symptoms map to specific hormonal changes.
Medicine Rich

PCOS Pathophysiology

Insulin resistance + hyperandrogenism + anovulation. Three-feature Rotterdam diagnosis.
Medicine Medium

hCG Doubling Curve

Beta-hCG doubles every 48-72h in early pregnancy; abnormal slopes signal ectopic or miscarriage.
Medicine Rich

Fetal Development Stages

Embryo (weeks 1-10), fetal (10-40); organogenesis windows of teratogen sensitivity.
Medicine Rich

Placental Circulation

Maternal-fetal exchange across trophoblast layer; oxygen, glucose, antibody, drug transfer.
Medicine Medium

Gestational Diabetes Mechanism

Placental hormones induce insulin resistance; pre-existing beta-cell limitation causes hyperglycemia.
Medicine Rich

Preeclampsia Mechanism

Abnormal placentation -> placental ischemia -> sFlt-1 release -> systemic endothelial dysfunction.
Medicine Medium

Breastfeeding Let-Down Reflex

Suckling -> oxytocin release -> myoepithelial contraction -> milk ejection. Prolactin sustains supply.
Medicine Medium

Contraceptive Mechanisms

Combined OCP (suppress ovulation), progestin-only (cervical mucus, endometrium), IUD (local), barrier.
Medicine Medium

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Estrogen +/- progesterone restoration; routes (oral, transdermal, vaginal); benefits and risks.
Medicine Medium

Postmenopausal Bone Loss

Estrogen withdrawal accelerates osteoclast activity; trabecular bone thins; fracture risk rises.
Medicine Medium

Endometriosis

Endometrial-like tissue outside uterus; cyclic bleeding causes inflammation, scarring, pain, infertility.
Medicine Medium

Pap and HPV Screening

HPV co-testing pathway, Bethesda categories, colposcopy referral; cervical cancer prevention.
Medicine Medium

Ovarian Reserve and AMH

AMH from antral follicles correlates with remaining oocyte pool; falls steeply after 35.
Medicine Medium

PMS and PMDD Mechanism

Sensitivity to normal cyclic hormone shifts; serotonin and GABA system involvement.
Medicine Simple

Maternal Mortality Causes

Hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, sepsis, embolism, cardiovascular - global breakdown.

Epidemiology 16 live

SIR/SEIR, R0/Rt, herd immunity, contact tracing, vaccination curves.

Medicine Rich

SEIR Compartmental Model

Susceptible -> Exposed -> Infected -> Recovered. Adds latent period vs SIR.
Medicine Medium

R0 vs Rt

R0 is intrinsic transmissibility in fully susceptible population; Rt is real-time effective reproduction.
Medicine Medium

Herd Immunity Threshold

Threshold = 1 - 1/R0; measles needs ~95%, flu ~50%, COVID-omicron ~85%.
Medicine Medium

Vaccination Coverage and Case Reduction

Coverage rises -> incidence falls non-linearly; threshold effect at herd immunity.
Medicine Medium

Contact Tracing Trees

Index case -> primary contacts -> secondary contacts. Branching factor reflects R-effective.
Medicine Simple

Epidemic Curve Anatomy

Index case, exponential rise, peak, decline. Wave shape encodes the outbreak story.
Medicine Simple

Incidence vs Prevalence

Incidence = new cases/time; prevalence = total existing cases. Bathtub analogy makes it click.
Medicine Simple

Attack Rate and Secondary Attack Rate

Attack rate = cases / exposed population; secondary attack measures within-household spread.
Medicine Simple

CFR vs IFR

Case fatality counts only diagnosed; infection fatality counts all infections (including asymptomatic).
Medicine Medium

Screening vs Diagnostic Tests

Screening: high-sensitivity, low-cost, broad population. Diagnostic: high-specificity, confirms.
Medicine Medium

Common Epidemiological Biases

Selection, recall, confounding, lead-time, length-time - the named errors that distort findings.
Medicine Medium

Observational Study Designs

Cohort (forward-looking), case-control (backward), cross-sectional (snapshot), ecological (group-level).
Medicine Medium

Randomized Controlled Trial Design

Randomization, blinding, control arm, intention-to-treat - the structure of definitive evidence.
Medicine Medium

Meta-Analysis Forest Plot

Individual study estimates with confidence intervals, summary diamond, heterogeneity assessment.
Medicine Medium

Population Attributable Risk

How much disease burden would disappear if exposure were eliminated population-wide.
Medicine Medium

Pandemic Wave Comparison

Sequential waves overlaid by start date show variant changes, vaccination effects, immune debt.

Diagnostics 16 live

Sensitivity, specificity, PPV/NPV, ROC, likelihood ratios.

Medicine Medium

Sensitivity vs Specificity

Sensitivity = TP/(TP+FN); Specificity = TN/(TN+FP). The diagnostic 2x2 table animated.
Medicine Medium

PPV/NPV Depend on Prevalence

Same test gives different post-test probability depending on disease prevalence.
Medicine Rich

ROC Curve and AUC

TPR vs FPR across all thresholds; AUC summarizes discrimination ability.
Medicine Rich

Likelihood Ratios

LR+ = sens/(1-spec); LR- = (1-sens)/spec. Multiplies pre-test odds to give post-test odds.
Medicine Rich

Bayesian Diagnostic Update

Pre-test prob -> test result -> post-test prob via Bayes theorem applied to clinical reasoning.
Medicine Medium

Cutoff Tradeoff

Lowering threshold raises sensitivity, drops specificity. Pick based on harms of FN vs FP.
Medicine Medium

Multi-Step Screening Pipeline

Sensitive screen -> specific confirmation. Population funnels narrow to confirmed cases.
Medicine Medium

Overdiagnosis in Screening

Screen-detected indolent disease that would never have surfaced clinically. Inflates apparent benefit.
Medicine Simple

Absolute vs Relative Risk

Doubling a tiny risk is still tiny; doubling a big risk is big. Relative numbers mislead.
Medicine Simple

Number Needed to Treat / Harm

NNT = 1/ARR; small NNT = strong intervention. NNH balances benefit against side effects.
Medicine Medium

Pre-Test Probability Tools

Wells, PERC, HEART, Centor - validated scores that anchor pre-test probability for diagnosis.
Medicine Medium

Biomarker Cutoff and Distributions

Healthy and diseased populations overlap on a continuous biomarker; cutoff carves them.
Medicine Medium

Precision-Recall Tradeoff

In imbalanced datasets, PR curves show diagnostic performance more honestly than ROC.
Medicine Medium

Diagnostic Calibration Curve

Predicted probability vs actual frequency - well-calibrated tests sit on the diagonal.
Medicine Rich

Skin Layers Anatomy

Cross-section of human skin from stratum corneum to hypodermis, with all key structures, functions, and age-related changes annotated by layer.
Medicine Rich

Parasite Lifecycle

A generalized lifecycle showing how parasites move between definitive host, intermediate host, and environment across 7 stages.

Mental health 15 live

Depression, anxiety, PTSD frameworks, SSRI mechanism, neurotransmitters.

Medicine Rich

Depression: Multiple Frameworks

Monoamine, neuroplasticity (BDNF), inflammation, HPA dysregulation - converging models.
Medicine Rich

SSRI Mechanism in Detail

Acute SERT blockade is fast; clinical benefit takes weeks - why?
Medicine Rich

Anxiety: Amygdala-PFC Circuit

Amygdala drives fear; PFC inhibits via top-down control; anxiety = imbalance.
Medicine Rich

PTSD and Fear Extinction

Trauma overconsolidates fear memory; extinction therapy creates new safety memory that competes.
Medicine Medium

Bipolar Mood Cycling

Mania (high energy, decreased sleep, grandiosity) alternates with depression. Lithium stabilizes.
Medicine Rich

Schizophrenia: Dopamine Hypothesis

Mesolimbic hyperactivity (positive symptoms) + mesocortical hypoactivity (negative symptoms).
Medicine Rich

ADHD: Frontal-Striatal Network

Underactive prefrontal-striatal circuits; stimulants raise NE/DA in PFC, normalize attention.
Medicine Medium

Addiction: Reward Pathway Hijack

Drugs of abuse activate VTA-NAc dopamine pathway 2-10x more than natural rewards.
Medicine Medium

Sleep Disorder Spectrum

Insomnia, OSA, narcolepsy, RLS, parasomnias - common conditions visualized.
Medicine Simple

CBT Cognitive Model

Thoughts -> emotions -> behaviors. CBT targets thoughts to break unhelpful loops.
Medicine Medium

Neuroplasticity and Mood

Chronic stress shrinks hippocampal volume; antidepressants and exercise grow it back.
Medicine Rich

Ketamine: Rapid-Acting Antidepressant

NMDA antagonism triggers downstream BDNF burst; relief within hours, not weeks.
Medicine Rich

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Mechanism

5-HT2A agonism plus therapy creates a window of plasticity for processing.
Medicine Simple

Help-Seeking Funnel

Symptoms -> recognition -> seeking help -> entering treatment -> remission. Most drop out early.
Medicine Medium

Suicide Risk Factor Stack

Mental illness, prior attempts, social isolation, access to means, recent crisis - cumulative risk.

Men's health 14 live

Testosterone curves, andropause, prostate, fertility, ED mechanisms.

Medicine Medium

Testosterone Across the Male Lifespan

Pubertal surge, plateau in 20s-30s, gradual decline 1-2% per year after age 30.
Medicine Medium

Late-Onset Hypogonadism

Symptomatic low-T in older men: fatigue, libido drop, mood, body comp changes, muscle loss.
Medicine Rich

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Exogenous T restores serum levels but suppresses HPG axis; spermatogenesis halts.
Medicine Rich

Erectile Dysfunction Mechanism

Vascular > neurogenic > psychogenic > hormonal. PDE5 inhibitors target the NO/cGMP pathway.
Medicine Medium

Prostate Zonal Anatomy

Peripheral, central, transition zones - cancer arises peripheral, BPH in transition.
Medicine Medium

BPH Pathophysiology

Age-related stromal-glandular hyperplasia in transition zone -> outflow obstruction.
Medicine Medium

PSA Screening Tradeoff

Sensitivity for cancer is reasonable; specificity is poor; overdiagnosis is the main harm.
Medicine Rich

Prostate Cancer Progression

Localized to locally advanced to metastatic; ADT to CRPC to chemotherapy to next-gen ARi.
Medicine Rich

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogonia to mature spermatozoa over ~74 days; FSH and intratesticular T essential.
Medicine Simple

Semen Analysis Norms

Volume, count, motility, morphology - WHO 2021 reference values.
Medicine Medium

Erectile Dysfunction as CV Warning Sign

ED often precedes overt CV disease by 3-5 years; small vessels fail first.
Medicine Medium

Gynecomastia Mechanism

Estrogen-to-androgen ratio shift drives glandular breast tissue growth in men.
Medicine Medium

Varicocele and Fertility

Dilated pampiniform veins raise scrotal temperature and oxidative stress, impairing sperm.
Medicine Medium

Male Pattern Baldness

Genetic susceptibility + DHT shrinks scalp follicles into miniaturization.
FAQ

Common questions about Medicine diagrams

Where can I get free animated clinical medicine diagrams for a medical blog?

Scrollchart provides free animated medicine diagrams covering pharmacology, cardiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, oncology, and mental health. One-line embed, no signup, no watermark. Designed for medical writers and health educators.

How do I embed an animated ECG, SIR epidemic curve, or diagnostic flowchart?

Find the diagram on Scrollchart, copy the snippet, and paste it into any page that accepts custom HTML. The diagram renders in your DOM, so the explainer text is fully indexable. Works in WordPress, Substack, Ghost, and Webflow.

Is there a free source for embeddable clinical diagrams with research citations?

Scrollchart includes a research tab in each diagram's explainer panel, surfacing citations and study context. Diagrams are free to embed without a watermark and are updated over time as evidence evolves.

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Yes. All Scrollchart diagrams are free to embed and include plain-language explainer text alongside the visual. The embed consent notes that the text is served from scrollchart.com and may be updated to reflect new guidance.

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