Pig Dissection

I think the essential question for this lab was: what are the functions and locations of the organs found in the pig and what system, or systems, are they a part of. This dissection required us to not only locate the organs, but also to think through how each organ interacts with other organs and why its positioning is useful. This ties right into the vodcasts we have been watching about the many human body systems. The anatomy of the pig and the anatomy of the human are very similar in the function and placement of internal bodily structures. Through our solid understanding of the circulatory, respiratory, nervous, endocrine, digestive, immune, and lymphatic systems in humans, we were able to quickly make connections when we spotted structures in the fetal pig. I found dissecting a pig a fascinating experience and my favorite part was opening the heart because it was interesting to see the mass of arteries and veins that basically kept the pig alive once. It's amazing how a few small tube-like structures within the heart push oxygenated blood throughout the entire body, keeping cells alive and functioning. I think the dissection was a very valuable experience because it gave us perspective on what the internal anatomy of our bodies look like. Many people questioned if the pig was real while doing the experiment because it did resemble rubber or clay very well, but it was valuable to understand the look and connection of our incredible body organs that allow us to be who we are.