Pig Dissection

Day 1 - Reproductive System/Abdominal Cavity

We had the opportunity to dissect a pig this week along with four other group members. As we studied the different systems and organs in our body we can see how different animals have the same body structure and organ system as we do. To start, we collected the material/tools needed: gloves, goggles, scissors, pins, and scalpel.

First we analyzed the different parts of the pig too see the basic structure from the outside. We saw that our pig was a female from the urogenital papilla found near the anus. Following the handout we got, we started cutting the pig along the stomach and around the umbilical cord to open up the abdominal cavity.

In this picture you can see the umbilical vein. In order to get underneath the organs we had to cut it.

 After getting to the organs we can see the liver which covers a major part of this system visually. In this picture you can see the small and large intestine, stomach, and one of the kidneys are visible. Also, the pancreas is under the stomach and the structure along the stomach is spleen.

Abdominal Activity

The Liver

Pancreas, Stomach, Small and Large intestines, and Spleen

The Kidney 

As we opened the stomach and went further we found black particles in fluids. 

Then we removed the uterus and in the picture the urinary sac is between the pinkish tubes, and behind that are the ovaries.

Day 2 - Thoracic Cavity/Head

Basically, on the second day we moved up to the thoracic cavity and finally the head. We were able to see the lungs, heart, thyroid glands, the brain, and the lens. The first organ we saw was the heart which was surrounded by various of veins, arteries, and the aorta. In these pictures you can see the circulatory system:

Ribcage surrounding the Heart

Lungs and the Heart

Our next task was to isolate the thyroid glands. As we moved further up it was harder to see these glands because it was covered with fats which were the same colour. The thyroid gland is there for growth and development of the pig. There were also the parathyroid glands which were located on the thyroid gland, but we were not able to clearly identify and isolate them. 

The next step was to isolate the brain and (brainstem as a bonus). This was a hard to part to get through because we had to be really cautious of what we were doing. The cartilage wasn't fully developed yet, therefore we had to cut it so that it didn't damage the brain. Although we were able to see the brainstem in the end, we couldn't successfully isolate it with the brain. In the following pictures it shows this process:

The last step of this lab was to isolate the eye. The eye is located near the brain and it is one of the most developed organs in the system. We could see a small yellow lens which was in a shape of sphere/circle.