Fetal Pig Dissection

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Fetal Pig Dissection

• Background Information to get you started.

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Background Information

• These specimens are NOT raised for dissection
  purposes. They are salvaged from pregnant sows
  at slaughter for food.
• They have been embalmed via the umbilical cord.
• Arteries and veins also injected with latex (red
  arteries, blue veins).

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Why dissection?

• Dissections are a powerful teaching tool. To see
  it is to understand it unlike 2D diagrams.
• You will gain an appreciation for organ placement
  and system set up.
• There are many similarities between pigs and
  humans.
• Best muscles, digestive, respiratory,
  circulatory, reproductive systems..

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Other Thoughts

• Dissection DOES NOT mean to CUT UP.
• It means to expose, to view.
• We will rarely be cutting but we will probe and
  tease tissues to expose them so we dont lose the
  view.
• Note position of organs relative to other for
  understanding of whole systems. This is not
  random!

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Safety

• Each day gather your dissecting kit and trays and
  lots of towels.
• Aprons recommended.
• Safety glasses NOT an option. ON YOUR FACE! The
  embalming liquid can embalm your eyeballs jst as
  well as the pigs!
• Trash gt towels and gloves
• Skin, tissues, and organs lt body bag for
  disposal.

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Objectives

• Perform a whole body dissection of a vertebrate
  like ourselves (no 9th graders volunteered).
  Many similarities exist!
• Identify the major anatomical features of your
  pig.
• Understand the relationship of form and function
  of each organ, each system, and how all systems
  interconnect homeostasis!

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Objectives part 2

• Determine sex of pig using external anatomical
  landmarks.
• Determine age of fetus via length (fetal pig
  gestation time time in the uterus).
  Gestational time for pigs ranges between 112-114
  days.
• Gain dissection skills you will use in college
  dissecting of cats (or people)!

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Lets DO this thing!

• Decide on a dissecting group of 3 4 people.
• Please pick up a pre-lab worksheet and a lab
  guide read over the beginning of the lab guide,
  review your intro notes and complete the pre-lab
  Qs.
• ALSO You will need to take pictures of this
  dissection process for projects and reports about
  this dissection. Bring cameras (and cell phones
  okay ONLY for pics).