Fetal Pig Dissection!

This week in AP Bio we had the opportunity to do a fetal pig dissection! Dissections have always been my favorite part of science classes because it's a chance to see up-close what our organs look like. 

We first started by determining the gender of the pig and ours turned out to be a male pig. Next, we measured the length of the pig to get a rough idea of how old our pig was. He was a little over 30cm long, which means he was very close to birth time already. 

Then, we moved onto the abdominal cavity which was so interesting to learn more about. I think the best part about dissections is that it's a great opportunity to try and apply what I've learned in class to real life. While textbooks and online images use different colors to differentiate organs, the organs of this fetal pig were all the same color. At first glance, it's easy to mix up the small intestine and large intestine because of their similar structure/appearance but once I looked closer I remembered the ways to differentiate them and I realized just how much I've been learning in this class!

Here's an image from our dissection worksheets! How many can you label?

We learned more about the function of each organ and how they all play an important role in how our body functions. The diaphragm separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities and aids breathing, the pancreas makes insulin, and our gallbladder stores bile. I also found the mesentery organ really interesting because I've always wondered what holds our intestines and other organs in place while we move about through our day. 

Looking through the thoracic cavity was super interesting as well because it gave me an idea of how my own thoracic cavity looks like. The size difference in the lungs was fascinating to look at because textbook diagrams don't usually show the difference. Our left lung is usually smaller than the right lung because our heart is closer to the left side of our chest, so it slightly rests on the left lung. We also took a closer look at the inside of the pig's heart and I loved seeing the different components of a heart. 

Another image from our dissection worksheets! How many can you label?

Overall, I had so much fun watching this dissection. It was so fascinating and a great learning experience. I hope in college I have the opportunity to do more dissections, maybe even on a different animal! 

Fetal Pig Dissection!

“Ultimate Fetal Pig Anatomy Review: Pig Dissection, Fetal, Dissection.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/pin/565201821982270212/.

This week in my AP Biology class, we had the opportunity to participate in a fetal pig dissection to explore the Kingdom Animalia. In previous classes and camps, I have dissected a frog, worm, squid, and fish... but this so far was the most interesting!

Edu, byTeam Leverage, et al. “18 Interesting Science Experiments for Class 6 at Home.” Leverage Edu, 14 Mar. 2021, leverageedu.com/blog/science-experiments-for-class-6/.

Due to Covid-19, the amount of hands-on labs we have completed this year has been minimal. So, when given the opportunity, my class was excited to watch our teacher dissect a fetal pig and teach us about the different structures in our body! What I found interesting about this lab was getting to see how the organs and tissues package together and fit within an organism. It was fascinating to discuss the different structures and functions of each organ and relate this to the human body and previous topics in AP bio. Our class was able to make connections to previous units that covered the topics of cell structure, diffusion, osmosis, enzymes, and evolution. As our teacher completed the dissection, we eagerly discussed how these topics related to the many processes that occur in our body!

Vectorwin, et al. “Probiotic Icon Vector. Isolated Contour Symbol Illustration Stock Vector Art 1213467627.” IStock, www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?mediatype=illustration&phrase=small+intestine.

For example, when exploring the coiling small intestine, we noted how large the surface area to volume ratio was. Then, we connected this back to our topic of osmosis and diffusion, discussing how a large surface area to volume ratio allows water and important nutrients to diffuse at faster rate - because there is more surface area (room) for these molecules to diffuse through. This is beneficial to the organisms because the organ will get the important water and nutrients it needs for the cells to function properly.

This investigation left me curious about about my own body and the many processes happening in these complex systems! Overall, I really enjoyed being able to participate in a hands-on lab that explored Kingdom Animalia. Fascinating!

Check out this short video on how to dissect a fetal pig! Note - content may be disturbing to some viewers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC0yWBXaM28

Thanks for checking out my blog post!

Protista Exploration

Protista is more or less the catch-all phylum of the life classifications. Anything that cannot be classified as plant, animal, or fungi is placed here. This results in an extremely diverse, and truly captivating group of organisms. One of the most common protists are seaweeds. My team and I explored different seaweeds, and various other types of protists for this lab, to get a better idea of what truly makes up this mosh pit of life.