1. Fetal Pig Dissection! Work in Groups of 3-4
Get out lab books and lab packets!

2. Fetal Pig Dissection – Day 1
Getting Started!
Obtain the following materials:
1 fetal pig per group
1 large dissection pan
2 pieces of string - ~25-30 inches long
2 good scalpels
Scissors
2 BLUNT Probes
Forceps (tweezers)

3. Initial Prep Open up the plastic bag –
Cut open the bag over the sink. Empty pig and contents into sink. THROW AWAY bag into the GREEN trash
Rinse off pig well. Towel dry and place in a dissection tray

4. External Observations
Look for the umbilical cord
Try to find the umbilical arteries/veins that connected its blood supply to mom via the placenta
External nares (remember what those are?)
Tongue
External nares
Tongue

5. External Observations
Scrotum
Boy or Girl?
Look under the tail.
If all you see it an anus (hole) then a SMOOTH swollen sac of skin – you have found the SCROTUM and you have a boy!
If you see an anus (hole) plus an obvious folded area of skin. You have found the GENITAL PAPILLA and you have girl!
BOY!
Anus
Genital Papilla
Anus
GIRL!!!

6. Securing your Pig to the tray
Use the 2 pieces of string to secure your pig to the dissecting tray

7. Incision Time
1. Take a scalpel – make a SUPERFICIAL midsaggital incision from chin to umbilical cord
2. Then use scissors to cut along either side of the umbilical cord to create a “flap”
3. & 4. Use scissors to make 2 lateral cuts. Avoid the staples on one side of the pig
Also be careful not to demolish the DIAPHRAGM at the base of the rib cage!

8. Incision Time
3. & 4. Use scissors to make 2 lateral cuts. Avoid the staples on one side of the pig
Also be careful not to demolish the DIAPHRAGM at the base of the rib cage!
Diaphragm

9. Diaphragm
Use scissors to separate the diaphragm from the floor of the rib cage.
You should be left with one big “flap” of Diaphragm that hangs over the liver and stomach (see page 409 of lab book)
Diaphragm
Diaphragm

10. Separate Skin from rib cage & neck
Using your scapel – separate the skin of the chest area off of the rib cage AND neck region.
You will have to cut through muscle and connective tissue to do this
It’s like skinning raw chicken!

11. Cutting off the Rib Cage
Using scissors – cut of each half of the rib cage. You should end up with 2 large chunks of ribs in your tray

12. Exposing Larynx and Trachea – pg. 409
Using scissors – cut off any remaining pericardial sac that might be covering the heart. Place any pieces in your tray for later disposal
Using a SHARP scalpel – remove all muscle and tissue overlying the larynx and trachea
Larynx
Trachea
Be careful NOT to cut through these blood vessels

13. Neck Blood Vessels – pg. 418
Using a BLUNT PROBE – carefully probe on either side of the trachea until you expose
1 PINK common carotid artery on each side
2 BLUE jugular veins on each side
These are the internal and external jugular veins
Common Carotid Artery
Internal Jugular Vein
External Jugular Vein

14. Heart Using a combination of scalpel and scissors:
Cut off the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart
Be careful not to cut off any important blood vessels!
Also not the texture and position of the RIGHT AND LEFT LUNGS.
Superior Vena Cava
Right Lung
Left Lung

15. Cardiovascular System: Superior Vena Cava, Pulmonary Trunk & Aortic Arch
Right Lung
Left Lung

16. What now? Locate all Respiratory & Digestive System organs listed on Page 13 of your lab packet!
Use pg. 404 & pg. 409 in your lab books for help
Note: do NOT find the urinary organs yet – we will do this later.
When your group thinks it has found everything – call me over so I can review it with you!

17. Digestive System
Note: the following are not shown, but you need to know where they are:
Tongue, esophagus, stomach, pancreas
Liver
Large intestine
Gallbladder
Mesentery
Small intestine
Rectum

18. Ready to clean up? Cut off strings – throw away in GREEN trash.
Throw any PIG TISSUE WASTE in the RED trash
Rinse pig under water and clean both external and internal areas.
Spray pig with cavicide (in white spray bottle) inside and out!
Put pig in a plastic bag and secure with rubber band.
Write the pig’s name (or group name) on the bag in permanent marker.
Place bagged pig in the tray.
Spray down your table with cavicide or simple green!

19. Respiratory System Make sure you can locate: External nares Larynx
Trachea
Diaphragm
lungs

20. Digestive System Be sure you can locate: Tongue Esophagus Stomach
Liver
Gallbladder
Small intestine
Large Intestine
Pancreas
Mesentery
Rectum

21. Fetal Pig Dissection – Day 2
Grab your pig from the tray – save the bag!
Rinse him/her off again!
Cut 2 pieces of string and secure your pig to the tray
Get: Scapel, Scissors, Forceps (tweezers), blunt probe

22. Urinary System
Do NOT cut out the intestines to dissect the urinary system!
Push the intestines to one side and use a scalpel or blunt probe to remove the connective tissue around each kidney and ureter
Note the ALLANTOIC or URINARY BLADDER
Rectum
Left Kidney
Right Kidney
Left Ureter
Right Ureter
Allantoic or Urinary Bladder

23. Cardiovascular System – page 418
1 PINK common carotid artery on each side
2 BLUE jugular veins on each side
These are the internal and external jugular veins
Common Carotid Artery
Internal Jugular Vein
External Jugular Vein

24. Cardiovascular System: Superior Vena Cava, Pulmonary Trunk & Aortic Arch
Right Lung
Left Lung

25. Cardiovascular System: Inferior Vena Cava & Abdominal Aorta
Mesentery
Small Intestine
Inferior Vena Cava
Abdominal Aorta
Rectum

26. Cardiovascular System – Heart & Spleen

27. Reproductive System - MALE
Allantoic or Urinary Bladder
Spermatic Cord
Penis
testes
Spermatic Cord
Epididymis
Epididymis
testes

28. Reproductive System - FEMALE
Uterine Horn
Uterine Horn
Ovary
Ovary
Uterine Body
Allantoic Bladder

29. Ready to clean up? Cut off strings – throw away in GREEN trash.
Throw any PIG TISSUE WASTE in the RED trash
Rinse pig under water and clean both external and internal areas.
Spray pig with cavicide (in white spray bottle) inside and out!
Put pig in your saved plastic bag and secure with rubber band.
Write the pig’s name (or group name) on the bag in permanent marker.
Place bagged pig in the tray.
Spray down your table with cavicide or simple green!