Fetal Pig Dissection Internal Anatomy Quiz Skeletal System
- Fetal Pig Dissection Internal Anatomy Quiz Skeletal System Definition
- Fetal Pig Dissection Worksheet Pdf
IntroductionPigs, one of the most similar animals to humans, have been used to inform and teach students about the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive system through a procedure called a dissection for many years. Pigs are similar to humans through the fact that they have skin, not fur or feathers, they are omnivores, and when they are a fetus they receive nutrients from an umbilical cord connected to the mother, so it is natural to pick such an animal to compare to the human organ systems. Although the size of the fetus pig is smaller than that of the human body the organization of the major organs and the functions of such organs are still the same. This pig dissection is designed to visually show students the different systems inside a pig and, indirectly, their own bodies. Upon dissection they see the heart, the major organ in the circulatory system that pumps the oxygenated blood around the body; the lungs, the major organ in the respiratory system that provides oxygen to the deoxygenated blood coming from the heart and the small intestines, the major organ in the digestive system that digests the food and absorbs the nutrients from the food. These organ system control basic functions of life and without one, all cannot perform. Materials.
Safety Googles. Latex Gloves.
Pig preserved in Formaldehyde (a colourless, toxic water soluble gas that is used to preserve the pig and its organs). String. Dissecting Pins.
Dissecting Tray. Scalpel.
Small Scissors. Medium Scissors. Probe.
Measuring TapeConclusionPigs are complex organisms with an internal structure similar to that of the human body. The pig dissection was a learning experience that allowed students to distinguish the many organs and organ systems in the pig’s body and, ultimately, the organs and organ systems of the human body. Although the pig fetus was larger than what was expected, the procedure went well and all the necessary parts of the pig were visible. However the discolouration of the organs was quite unusual. The entire pig was one beige colour. This could be due to the amount of time the pig was preserved for. Also, the heart was found to be smaller than previous expectation.
It was surrounded by the lungs protectively and was very muscular due to the constant pumping of blood. Some experimental errors that occurred during the experiment dealt mainly with the pig’s skin and the incisions. Due to the large size of the pig it was more difficult to create accurate incisions on the ventral side of the pig. The skin and muscle was far thicker and harder to cut through than all the other pigs and resulted in the scalpel not cutting properly. In future experiments it would be better to have a smaller pig so that the incisions are much cleaner and easier to perform. This experiment allowed biology students to learn, in a hands-on way, about the many systems of the body. It showed the organization of the pig’s internal organs and the significance of each organs position.
For instance the heart and the lungs are very close together because the heart needs oxygen for the blood very quickly. If the heart doesn’t get this oxygenated blood quickly then it cannot deliver fast enough to the various parts of the body.
The body tissue cells will run out of oxygen for ATP and thus the entire body will slow down. AnalysisWhat is the function of the umbilical cord?The umbilical cord is the fetus’ way of getting oxygen, nourishment and nutrients in order to grow. It is attached to the mother’s placentawhich receives nourished oxygenated blood from the heart and the small intestines and delivers it to the fetus. The fetus also uses the umbilical cord to dispose of any wastes left in his/her body.State the function of the following organs:Stomach: The stomach stores about 1 – 2 L of food for about 4 hours. This J-shaped organ secretes gastric juices that prepare the food for digestion. Gastric juice is called pepsin (pepsin is created from pepsinogen in the presence of HCl) and it, along with HCl, is responsible for breaking down proteins. The stomach lining produces rennin, an enzyme that coagulates milk proteins, and is made of mucous secreting cells, cells that protect the stomach from its acidic contents.
Gastrin, a hormone that is released into the blood as a signal to produce more HCl and pepsinogen, is also produced in the stomach and stimulate the stomach to contract.Liver: The liver is the largest organ in the body and produces many enzymes and bile, which is stored in the gall bladder and contains bile salts that break down fat globules. Some of the livers other functions include detoxifying poisonous chemical substances such as caffeine and alcohol, and stores glycogen, vitamin A, B12, D and fats.Small Intestine: The site where most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients take place, it is made of the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. Digestion occurs in the duodenum and involves many different enzymes that break down the nutrients even more. The jejunum and the ileum both are the sites of absorption and are lined with villi and microvilli, which increase the surface area in and can absorb the nutrients digested by the duodenum.Gall Bladder: The gall bladder is a small sac behind the liver that stores the bile made in the liver. The hormone cholecystokinin from the small intestine signals the gall bladder to release the bile into the duodenum to digest fats.Pancreas: The pancreas produces both hormones and enzymes that aid digestion. It secretes bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) into the small intestine to neutralize the chymes low pH from the stomach so digestion can occur.
Also the pancreas produces the hormone insulin and glycogen which reduces and increases the glucose in the blood stream.Large Intestine: It is 1.5m long and 8 cm wide. It is made up of three arms: ascending, transverse, and descending colon. Its main function is to absorb water, minerals and salts that were missed in the small intestine.
It also decomposes left over material through micro-organisms and bacteria.Spleen: The spleen creates lymphocytes for the destruction and recycling of old red-blood cells. Also it is a blood reservoir that supplies the body with blood in emergencies like a large cut; it is the place where white blood cells trap and capture foreign organisms. What is the function of the Mesentery?The mesentery is a thin, connective tissue that holds the small intestine together in place. It holds mainly the jejunum and the ilieum.Why does the left ventricle contain more muscle than the right ventricle?The reason as to why the left ventricle contains more muscle than the right ventricle is because the left ventricle must be strong enough to pump the blood throughout the body while the right ventricle only needs to pump the blood to the nearby lungs.Why do the lungs feel spongy?The lungs feel spongy because there are millions of alveoli in the lungs. These alveoli are made so that the maximum surface area can take in oxygen for deoxygenated blood. Because there are little spaces between the alveoli, they do not make a solid feeling organ, they make a spongy feeling one.What function do the cartilaginous rings of the trachea serve?The cartilaginous rings of the trachea keep the trachea open for air to enter the lungs with oxygen and leave with carbon dioxide.
It also maximizes the amount of air that is breathed in and out and prevents the accidental closing of the trachea which would result in suffocation. You may also like.
. Share. Share to Google ClassroomA fetal pig is a great choice for dissection because the size of the organs make them easy to find and identify.It is also a very exciting dissection because, like, the internal anatomy is similar to humans! It is fascinating to see how all the organs fit and work together. Use this guide to help you dissect a, or just look at the labeled pictures to get an idea of what the organs look like. If you do the dissection yourself, you will need a and some, or buy our complete.
Fetal Pig Dissection OverviewExternal Anatomy1. Most of the pig’s external features are familiar to you – ears, nose, eyes, etc. On the belly you will see the umbilical cord which connected the fetal pig to its mother’s placenta.
On either side of the umbilical cord you may see mammary papillae, little nipples that will turn into teats in female pigs.2. Determine if your specimen is male or female by looking closely at the umbilical cord area. If the pig is male, it will have a small urogenital opening immediately behind the umbilical cord. If the pig is female, the urogenital opening will be just behind the anus under the pig’s tail. Only the female has two openings beneath the tail.Oral CavityClick image for full-size pdf1. Using your dissecting scissors, cut through the jaw bones at the corner of the pig’s mouth. Cut far enough so that the bottom half of the jaw can almost touch the pig’s chest.2.
Fetal Pig Dissection Internal Anatomy Quiz Skeletal System Definition
Open the mouth as far as you can. Use the labeled picture to identify the feathery papillae (taste buds) on the edges of the tongue, the ridged hard palate in the roof of the mouth with the smooth soft palate behind it, the sharp teeth near the front of the mouth, and the epiglottis, which covers the opening of the trachea (windpipe) so food cannot enter.Body Cavity Incisions1. Tie a string around one of the pig’s forelegs. Pass the string under your dissecting pan and tie it to the other foreleg.
Stretch the string tightly so that it will hold the pig’s legs apart. Repeat with the back legs.Click image for full-size pdf2. Use your fingers to probe the chest area of the pig. You should be able to feel the hard sternum (breastbone) and the tiny ridges of the ribcage.
Keep moving down until you feel the bottom edge of the rib cage; this is where the diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. This point is marked with an X in the illustration.3. Make an upside-down V incision starting at X, as you see in the illustration. Start the cut with a, then continue it with. You want to cut through the skin and the muscle, but if you cut too deep you will damage the internal organs.
Use forceps to hold the tissue away from the organs as you cut. Carry the incision all the way to the pan.4. Start the second incision at X and carry it straight down almost to the umbilical cord.
Cut a semi-circle around the umbilical cord on each side. Make the third incision just above the hind legs and carry it all the way down to the pan.5. Now lift up the flaps of skin and peel them back so they lay flat on the pan. There may be some connective tissue or membranes attaching the muscles to the underlying organs. Cut carefully through this so you can lift the flaps back. The abdominal cavity is now exposed.6. Beginning at X again, make the fourth incision up through the chest.
Use the scissors to cut through the rib cage and the sternum. When you reach the midpoint between the forelegs, make another incision down to the pan. Go back to the diaphragm area and use a scalpel to cut the wall of the body cavity away from the diaphragm.
The diaphragm should remain intact, but now the rib cage can be pulled back and pinned to the pan, exposing the thoracic cavity.7. Make the last two incisions to expose the neck area.Abdominal Cavity1. The largest organ in the abdominal cavity is by far the liver, just below the diaphragm (the flap of muscle separating the abdominal from the thoracic cavity). Notice the umbilical vein connecting the umbilical cord with the liver. Cut this vein so you can lay the umbilical cord back between the pig’s hind legs.2. Use the labeled pictures to find the following organs:Click for full-size pdfClick for full-size pdf. Liver – the liver is the large black/brown multi-lobed organ at the top of the abdominal cavity.
Stomach – the pig’s stomach is located on the right side, tucked under the liver. Spleen – the spleen is not part of the digestive system; it helps filter the pig’s blood. It is a thin finger-like organ lying on the stomach and matching it in color. Small Intestine – the small intestine is a large mass of coiled tube that fills the bottom half of the abdominal cavity. It is held in place by tissue called mesentery. Lift up a section of the intestine and pull it tight – the mesentery is the thin tissue filled with blood vessels.
Large Intestine – the large intestine’s big coils look fused together. It sits to the right of the small intestine, just below the stomach. Kidneys – carefully move the intestines aside to see the large bean-shaped kidneys (one on each side) covered in a shiny membrane. Urinary Bladder – between the blood vessels in the umbilical cord is the long, flat bladder.
Gall Bladder – gently lift the liver to see the round gall bladder imbedded in the under side of the lobe that the umbilical vein was attached to.3. If your specimen is a male, you will find long brown tubes on either side of the folded-back umbilical cord. At the end of these tubes are the rounded testes. A whitish sack attached to the testis is the epididymis, which stores sperm cells. If your specimen is female, you will find the ovaries at the base of the umbilical cord/urinary bladder. Directly below the ovaries you will see a flap of tissue called the horns of the uterus; this part leads to the main body of the uterus.Thoracic Cavity1.
The thoracic cavity is protected by the rib cage and contains the lungs and heart. Use the labeled picture to find the following organs:Click for full-size pdf.
Lungs – the lungs have multiple lobes and are found on either side of the heart. Heart – the heart is encased in a shiny pericardial membrane; carefully remove this with your scissors or a teasing needle. Gently lift the lungs so you can see the dark tissue called auricles above the atria (upper chambers of the heart). Esophagus – gently push the heart to the side to see the shiny white tube traveling down behind it.
This carries food to the stomach. Trachea – extending up from the lungs is the ridged ‘windpipe,’ or trachea. Larynx – at the top of the throat the trachea bulges out into the larynx, or voice box.Fetal Pig Dissection ResourcesTo study the pig in more detail, go to this.
Fetal Pig Dissection Worksheet Pdf
It covers all the body systems and includes quizzes to test your knowledge!Label the Anatomy of a Fetal PigPrint out these PDFs and fill in the labels to test your knowledge of fetal pig anatomy. Internal anatomy:. Internal anatomy:See our other free dissection guides with photos and printable PDFs.What other users say:Absolutely Fantastic!My students thoroughly enjoy completing the dissection projects. I highly recommend these specimens for anyone interested in learning more about the anatomy of specific organisms.Sandi More Dissection Projects:.