Anna Nickerson, Alexis Pring, Grace Van Oort, Olivia Cole, Teagan Lee

Period 5
Assignment: Dogfish Shark Dissection
http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/courses/bio204/lab3_frameset.htm
Fill in the table with the functions of the digestive tract, comparing the digestive system
of a mammal with Necturus and the Dogfish. For equivalent structures, write same,
absent or the new structure.

Organ

Function in Mammal

Esophagus

The main function of the esophagus

is to transport food, liquid, and saliva
to the stomach.

Video Link

Dogfish
Equivalent
Links top of
cavity to oral
cavity, pharynx
with stomach.
SAME

Stomach

The main function of the stomach is

to act as a container for the contents
that were transported via the
esophagus. Its function is also to
break down/digest food for nutrients.

Connects from
the esophagus to
intestines. In the
shape of J.
Breaks down
ingested food.
SAME

Anna Nickerson, Alexis Pring, Grace Van Oort, Olivia Cole, Teagan Lee
Period 5
Pyloric
sphincter

This is a band of smooth muscle

between the pylorus of the stomach
and dudenum. Its function it to
control the flow of partially digested
food from stomach to small
intenstine.

This cicular and

muscular value is
located at the end
of stomach. Its
purpose is to
regulate the
somewhat
digested food
into the
intestines.
SAME

Small
intestine

This is where most absorption and

digestion occurs within the digestive
system.

Sharks have
small and large
intestines called
spiral valved
intestines which
serve the same
purpose of aiding
in digestion. The
small intestine is
much shorter
than humans.
SAME

Large
intestine

The primary funciton of the large

intestine is to absorb water from
remaining food matter/transmit waste
material from the digestive system.

Sharks have
small and large
intestines called
spiral valved
intestines which
serve the same
purpose of aiding
in digestion. The
large intestine is
much shorter
than humans.
SAME

Anna Nickerson, Alexis Pring, Grace Van Oort, Olivia Cole, Teagan Lee
Period 5

Caecum

The main functions are to absorb

both fluids and salts that stay in the
body of the completion of instestinal
digestion/absorption, then mix its
contents with mucus.

This is a point
that divides the
small and large
intestines.
SAME

Anus

To excrete solid human waste.

Waste is
excreted through
paralysis of the
sphinctor
muscles and it is
located by the
tail
(anal gland)
NEW
STRUCTURE

Pancreas

The pancreas is an important part of

the digestive system that produces
vital enzymes and hormones to break
fown foods.

It is connected
with the lower
stomach and
duodenum and
secretes into the
duodenum
SAME

Spleen

The spleen has a few key roles in the

body: it filters the blood for the
immune sytem. Old red blood cells
are recyled in the spleen and white
blood cells nd platelets are stored in
there. The spleen also fights certain

This is dark and

triangular shaped
and by the end of
the stomach and
filters blood for
the dogfish shark

Anna Nickerson, Alexis Pring, Grace Van Oort, Olivia Cole, Teagan Lee
Period 5
kinds of bacteria to prevent illnesses
such as pneumonia and meningitis.

Gall
bladder

The gallbladder is located under the

liver with a primary function to
store/concentrte bile.

SAME

Loacted by the
liver, it stores
bile created by
the liver and
helps with
buoyancy
SAME

Liver

The liver is the organ in charge of

filtering and processing blood as it
goes through the body. The liver
metabolizes nutrients and detoxifies
substances and many other functions
through the use of enymes.

This is the
largest organ in
the dogfish and
stores oil which
is used for
energy. The low
specific gravity
of the oil gives
the shark some
buoyancy.
SAME