Anatomy Study Guide

During this portion of the project, you will still be creating a study guide but of the various structures of
the fetal pig or sheep brain/heart. For each of the systems, the first slide (or two) gives you basic
dissection information and the list of structures that you are responsible for finding and learning their
functions. The next slide is blank for your images with text boxes for labeling. However, feel free to add
additional slides if you need the extra space.
To complete this study guide you should:
1. Take images of required structures
2. Add images to slides and label structures
3. Fill in functions in the structure tables.
Functional information can be filled in outside of class, but we encourage you to do as much of the
image labeling during class time in case you have questions for your instructors. You will be able to find
much of the information on function in your dissection manual, along with your textbook (Life by Sadava),
Wikipedia, and many other physiology sources.
A copy of your guide will be submitted for grading by the end of the day of your lab during week 7 (week
of March 2nd).

Name __________________
Section _________________

Good dissection
requires
patience.
Once you have opened up your
specimen, you will find that most
organs and vessels are covered by
membraneous tissues. These
membranes need to be carefully
removed in order to see structures
clearly.
Properly dissecting out organs, and
in particular arteries and veins,
requires careful and patient work
with your blunt probe. The effort
you put into the dissection will be
worth it.
Better dissected organs and
vessels are easier to identify
and to learn.
For example, for a well-dissected
vessel, you should be able to pick up
the vessel with your probe and run
the probe along the length of the
vessel. Vessels should appear as
clearly defined strings like in the
picture to the right. Most vessels
will initially be encased in
membranes. These membranes can
be removed with your blunt probe.

Introduction

Review comments on dissection

techniques and anatomical
references used throughout the
book.

Do you know these

regions/planes?
Ventral
Dorsal
Cranial
Caudal
Lateral
Medial
Proximal
Distal
Frontal Plane
Transverse Plane
Sagittal Plane

Yes?

Chapter 1: External anatomy

Be familiar with external structures, and be able to identify male and

female from external structures. Refer to figure 1.1

We will not formally look at muscular system (Chapter 3), although you are
welcome to investigate this material if you have finished all of the required
chapters.

Do you have a male or female? Confirm with your TA.

Structure

Find It?

Structure

Head

Anus

Ear

Umbilical cord

Eyelid

Urogenital opening

External Nares

Mammary papilla

Tongue

Scrotum (males)

Trunk

Genital papilla
(females)

Shoulder

Ankle/Wrist

Find It?

Chapter 4: Digestive system

Begin with dissection instructions for the abdominal cavity, Figure 4.4 on pg.
44.

Use the dissections pattern for males.

If the cavity of your pig contains excess brown fluid or latex dye, you may
need to wash out the pig. Ask your TA for assistance.

Follow instructions for additional dissections of the digestive system on pg.

46 and pg. 48
Make sure that you follow the instructions to make an incision in the
stomach wall to examine the internal structures of the stomach,
specially look at the rugae and pyloric sphincter.

You are responsible for all structures and functions listed in Table 4.1 on pg.
51 except: teeth, salivary glands, and cecum.

Note: The term large intestine refers to both the colon and cecum
together.

Chapter 4: Digestive system

Structure

Find
It?

Function?

Esophagus

Deliver food to stomach

Stomach

Digest food via stomach acid

Liver

Filters blood and removes toxins

Gallbladder

Holds bile

Bile Duct

Carry bile for liver use

Pancreas

Regulates blood sugar

Small intestine

Reabsorption of food

Spiral Colon

Reabsorrption of water

Rectum

Hold waste before excretion

Anus

Excretion of food

Chapter 4: Digestive system

Liver

Stomach

Small Intestine

Spiral colon

Pancreas

Bile Duct

Spleen

Rectum

Anus

Liver

Esophagus

Gall
bladder

Anus

Notes and Instructions for Visualization of

the Chest Cavity
Care needs to be taken during your dissection of the chest and neck
area. There are endocrine structures located on top of the trachea
and surrounding blood vessels that you do not want to damage. To
help in this:
1)

Your blunt probe is your friend during most of your dissection

when you are exposing structures. Scissors are useful but are
also more apt to cut through necessary structures.

2)

Using your scissors, you may cut through the rib cage to
carefully expose the thoracic cavity.

3)

On the caudal lateral edges (at the bottom and on the sides) of
the ribs, you may also cut through the diaphragm to open the
thoracic cavity easier. DO NOT REMOVE COMPLETELY.

4)

Although the pigs have been injected with latex, not all vessels
end up colored. Arteries are more heavily walled (thicker) and
look whiter than the veins (often looked collapsed).

Chapter 6: Respiratory system

Begin by following the dissection instructions found on page 77.

Please do not remove the heart. We will have demo available for a better
view of the bronchi, if necessary

You are responsible for the structures from figure 6.1.

You are not responsible for specific lobes of the lung or for the oral cavity.

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Larynx

Opening pathway to trachea

Trachea

Carry oxygen to lung, moistens and warms air

Bronchus

Involved with diffusion of O2 and Co2

Lungs

Faciliate diffusion of oxygen and Co2

Diaphragm

Muscle that faciliates Inhalation

Chapter 6: Respiratory system

Lungs

Items to label:

Diaphragm
Larynx

Trachea

Chapter 7: Male reproductive system

You may need to extend your ventral

midline cut (cut #2, p44) in order to open
the area more.

The key is to locate the cremasteric

pouch and then open it as described on
pg. 85.

To locate this pouch, first find where the

spermatic cord (vas deferens, testicular
blood vessels) passes posteriorly from
the abdominal cavity into the scrotum.
(This will appear to loop over ureters
near the urinary bladder)
You can then follow the spermatic cord
down into the scrotum to the testes. Use
your blunt probe and an occasional snip
with your scissors to locate the posterior
end of the pouch.
Note that below the testis you may see a
rather large gummy looking structure
known as the gubernaculum. This
structure aids in descent of the testis into

kidney
ureter
follow to
testes

bladder

vas deferens

Note: You are responsible for

structures in both males and females.
Be sure to look at another specimen
in your lab.

Chapter 7: Male reproductive system

You are responsible for all items in Table 7.1 except for glands.
Structure

Find It?

Function?

Testis

Produce sperm

Epididymis

Give sperm motility

Vas
deferens

Canal that carries sperm to urethra

Urethra

Opening for urine and sperm

Gubernacul
um

Descends the testes

Chapter 7: Male reproductive system

Vas deferens

Epididymis
Testis

Urethra
Gubernaculum

Chapter 7: Female reproductive system

Responsible for all items in Table 7.1 except: urogenital sinus

Please note that pigs have extended uterine horns that allow the female to
support multiple fetuses. The uterine horns are often mistakenly identified
as the oviducts.

The oviducts are small coiled structures found close to the ovaries.

Not responsible for pregnant female reproductive system.

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Ovary

Production of egg

Oviduct

Egg pass through this tube

Uterine horn

Where fallopian tube and uterus meet

Genital
papilla

Covers opening of vagina

Chapter 7: Female reproductive system

Uterine horn

Ovary

Oviduct

Genital papilla

Chapter 7: Excretory system

Follow dissection instructions on pg. 94.

Remove one kidney as instructed on pg. 96 and bisect it to observe the

internal structure.

You are responsible for identifying and knowing function of the structures
listed from Table 7.2.

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Kidney

Remove excess salts and water from blood

stream

Ureter

Carries waste to urinary bladder

Urinary bladder

Holds waste before excretion

Cortex

Outer layer of kidney

Medulla

Inner part of kidney

Renal pelvis

Funnels waste from kidney to ureter

Chapter 7: Excretory system

Me

Kidn
Renal pelvis

Ureter

Cortex

Urinary Bladder

Chapter 9: Endocrine system

Responsible for the following structures and functions from Table 9.1.

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Thymus

Develops T-cells and involved in immunity

Thyroid

Create hormones from iodine

Pancreas

Maintain digestion via bile and regulate

blood sugar

Ovaries

Reproductive organ for females

Testes

Reproductive organ for males

Chapter 9: Endocrine system

Thymus
Thyroid

At a minimum, you should complete

up to this point by the end of Week
5.

Chapter 5: External Anatomy of the

Circulatory System

Begin by following dissection instructions on pg. 54.

Heart: External anatomy responsible for structures listed in Figure 5.1

Fetal circulation: including the role of the ductus arteriosus, and foramen
ovale, and umbilical artery and vein (Figure 5.2 and Figure 5.3).
Note, you should be able to see or feel the ductus arteriosus, but you
will not be able to see the foramen ovale.

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Right auricle/atrium

Recieves blood from body

Right ventricle

Pumps blood to lungs

Left auricle/atrium

Recieves blood from lungs

Left ventricle

Pumps blood to body

Ductus arteriosus

Connects pulmonary artery to aorta

Foramen ovale

Part of fetal heart: connects left atria to

Chapter 5: External Anatomy of the

Circulatory System
Items to label:
Right auricle/atrium
Left auricle/atrium

Right ventricle

Left ventricle

Chapter 5: Thoracic Vessels of the Circulatory

System

Please do not remove veins. Use a probe to gently clean areas

surrounding veins and arteries to better visualize the vessels.

Veins of thoracic region: Figure 5.5

Arteries of thoracic region: Figure 5.8

Skip the internal anatomy of the fetal heart, we will use a sheep model for
internal structures.

Chapter 5: Thoracic Vessels of the Circulatory

System
Structure

Find It?

Function?

External jugular vein

Collects most of blood from outside

of skull and deepest parts of face

Internal jugular vein

Collects blood from brain; the outside of

the face and neck

Subclavian veins

Extension of the axillary vein at the

outer border of the first rib

Cranial vena cava

Runs blood from brain to right

atrium

Caudal vena cava

Runs blood from inferior part of

body to RA

Common carotid artery

Supper head and neck with

oxygenated blood

Right/Left subclavian
arteries

Paired major arteries of upper body

Brachiocephalic
trunk/artery

Takes oxygenated blood to upper

limbs

Chapter 5: Thoracic Vessels of the Circulatory

System
External jugular vein
Internal jugular vein

Subclavian veins
Right/left subclavian
artery

Aortic Arch
Common
Carotid
Artery
Pulmonary Artery
Coronary Artery

Cranial Vena Cava

Caudal Vena Cava

Chapter 5: Abdominal Vessels of the

Circulatory System

Continue to clean away tissues with a blunt probe to better visualize

vessels.

Hepatic portal system: Figure 5.11.

Arteries and veins of the abdominal region: Figure 5.13

except: portal sinus, adrenal artery, genital vessels, medial sacral
artery and vein, and caudal mesenteric artery.

Chapter 5: Abdominal Vessels of the Circulatory System

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Gastrospleneic vein

Moves blood from stomach to heart

Hepatic portal vein

Moves blood from stomach and spleen to liver

capilaries

Hepatic veins

Runs blood to liver

Caudal vena cava

Runs blood from Right ventricle to lower body

Umbilical vein

Runs blood to the fetus from heart

Umbilical artery

Runs blood from fetus to heart

Cranial mesenteric artery

Supplies blood to intestines and pancreas

Aorta

Runs blood out of left ventricle to body

Internal iliac artery/vein

Runs blood to/from pelvic area

Deep femoral artery/vein

Runs blood to/from inner leg area

Femoral artery/vein

Runs blood to/from leg area

External iliac artery/vein

Precursor vessel to femoral artery/vein

Deep circumflex iliac

artery/vein

Runs blood to leg area

Chapter 5: Abdominal Vessels of the

Circulatory System

ranial mesenteric artery

Renal artery/vein

Caudal vena cava

Deep circumflex iliac
artery/vein

Aorta

Femoral arte

Umbilical artery

Internal Iliac
Artery/vein
External iliac
artery/vein

Deep femoral
artery/vein

Celiac Artery

Gastrospleneic Vein

Hepatic Portal
Vein

Hepatic Vein

Umbilical Vein

Chapter 5: Internal Anatomy of the

Sheep heart

Hearts will already be dissected. Please do not make any additional cuts unless
specifically instructed.

You are responsible for identifying the 4 chambers of the heart, the 4 sets of
valves, and the major arteries and veins associated with blood flow through the
heart.

To view the aortic semilunar valve, you will need to look down into the heart
through the aorta.

Once you have identified the major structures, you should be able to trace the
path of blood flow through the heart.

Chapter 5: Internal Anatomy of the Sheep

heart
Structure
Find It?
Function?

Right atrium

Recieves blood from body

Right ventricle

Gives blood to lung

Left atrium

Recieves blood from lung

Left ventricle

Gives blood to body

Tricuspid valve

Valve between Right Atrium and ventricle

Bicuspid valve

Valve between left atrium and ventricle

Aortic semilunar
valve

Valve between right ventricle and aorta

Pulmonary semilunar
valve

Valve between left ventricle and lungs

Aorta

Arteries that runs blood to body

Brachiocephalic
artery

Runs blood from aorta to carotid artery

Pulmonary artery

Artery that runs blood to lungs

Pulmonary vein

Artery that runs blood from lungs to body

Chapter 5: Internal Anatomy of the Sheep

heart
Aorta

Right atrium

Left atrium
Right ventricle

Left ventricle

Bicupsid Valve
Brachiocephalic
Artery

Pulmonary Vein

dia
nae

Tricuspid Valve

Pulmonary Artery
Right Atrium
Vena Cava

At a minimum, you should complete

up to this point by the end of Week
6.

Chapter 8: Nervous system

We will use a sheep brain, not fetal pig brain for this section.

Review structures outlined for the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the brain.

Responsible for all structures labeled in the diagram to the right, including
functions.
There is no specific table of functions for these structures. Most functions
can be found in Ch. 8 of the dissection manual.

Not responsible for cranial nerves or the mammalian eye.

Our sheep brain specimens will be bisected so that structures may be viewed
internally.

Chapter 8: Nervous system

Chapter 8: Nervous system

Structure

Find It?

Function?

Cerebrum

Involved with higher levels of thought and

speech

Cerebellum

Regulates fine motor movement

Spinal cord

CNS- relays information to and from limbs.

Reflexes

Medulla

Heart function, breathing, blood vessel

function and digestion

Pons

Coordinates breathing and chewing

Pituitary glands

Endocrine System

Hypothalamus

Regulates body temp and sleep/wake cycle

Optic
nerve/chiasma

Opening where nerves from eye enter brain

Thalamus

Relay station

Chapter 8: Nervous systemSpinal cord

Cerebellum

Hypothalamus

Corpus callosum

Thalamus

Cerebrum

Pituitary Gland

Optic
Chiasm

Pons

Medulla

Spinal
Cord