Noah Osborn

Period 1
10/26/15
Anatomy and Physiology
Ms. Giannou

Dissections: For or Against

Everything we know about the body today, everything our modern technology and
information about thousands of species and organisms is founded not upon x-rays or sonograms
or scans, but upon a method of study that is hundreds of years old: dissections. Dissections
permitted us to literally take a closer look at the body, allowing us to improve methods of
treatment and pushing humanity towards more modern medicine versus old and outdated
practices based in myth, folklore, and superstition. The value of learning via dissection is
inarguably critical; it is crucial for students to educate themselves by viewing anatomical organ
systems, organs and the anatomical parts of other species in order to fully understand their
purpose and functions, as only so much can be depicted in a textbook or illustrate on a computer
screen. It can be argued that the use of 20 million animals per year is unnecessary, that
dissections should no longer be performed in the high school classroom. These numbers are
staggering which is why, subsequently, dissections should be executed in a high school
classroom, but on a limited basis, with dissections carried out by instructors in front of their
students, while then utilizing modern technology for the visual aspect of the instruction. This
compromised decision limits the number of specimens used for dissections in the high school
classroom, but still allows for the education of anatomy via dissections; a method with proven
educational value. Dissections should be carried out in the high school classroom but performed
on a limited basis in order to decrease the number of specimens used, and paired with the
utilization of modern technology to maximize the educational value absorbed by students.
When students come in to class to take the test after a dissection, what will they
remember the most from the previous class? Will it be the feeling of how strong the heartstring is
in a sheeps heart and the subsequent association of its function and location, or will it be that
one click out of hundreds as they navigate the menus in a virtual dissection? Traditional

dissections are necessary in high school classrooms because full comprehension cant be
obtained without dissections. High school biology students taught earthworm and frog
dissection via traditional dissection scored significantly better on a post-test than high school
biology students taught using a CD-ROM(1). This study presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Mid-South Educational Research Association proves how imperative it is for students to
experience dissections if they are to fully comprehend the material they are tasked with learning.
Those who are opposed to dissections in schools would argue that there is an
extremely high amount of animals used for dissection each year; as high as 20 million animals
per year.(2) The use of 20 million animals per year is not necessary for the comprehensive
education of students across the U.S. A limit on the amount of animals that a school can dissect
would cut this massive number down significantly. Animals for dissection are not used
efficiently in school as sometimes every four or even every two students is assigned an animal.
This seems efficient to the school and it may be cost effective but in reality it is wasteful and can
be further reduced without the loss of comprehension. Each classroom may only use a small
amount of animals but with sometimes eight class in a day and over 15 schools in the region, the
number of animals used becomes amplified as the scope becomes larger and encompasses the
state and eventually the entire country resulting in a unreasonably high number of 20 million
animals.

To maintain comprehension in the classroom with a

reduced amount of available specimens would require a compromise. Using a blend of both
modern technology and traditional dissections will allow the students to see the structures and
functions of the animals parts without unnecessarily dissecting an animal while also giving
students the experience of seeing the real anatomical parts inside the specimen. Once the
students have a more informed knowledge of the material they are studying then the teacher can

do a class dissection and the students can participate and use the knowledge they learned from
their books and computer simulations into practice. As Christopher Perillo pointed out it is
scientifically important to examine the structure and function of living and once-living
organisms. The smell, feel, and texture cannot be duplicated in a virtual dissection.(3)There
isnt any way for dissections to be recreated or depicted any other way than actually cutting open
a dead animal and identifying the various parts and their functions. Each student doesnt need to
dissect an animal, they only need to observe it happening and then be able to touch the parts to
better comprehend the material. If there is a class wide demonstration then all the students will
have the chance to participate and observe but the impact on animals on a larger scale will be
lessened.

Many opposed to dissections highlight the cost of

dissections and how much would be saved by not doing dissections at all. They say that between
$6,000 and $19,000(4) can be saved by not having dissections in schools nationwide. If schools
across the U.S. employed the method of one class wide dissection to lower the amount of
animals used then that would also massively reduce the cost of dissections. The money that the
school would save could then be invested in a virtual dissection program that all of the students
would be able to use to not miss out on the details of a dissection. Those opposed to dissections
fail to see the potential compromise and if dissections were completely taken out of the
education system the students will miss out on some critical areas of the learning process.
Dissections should be
used in the high school classroom but performed on a limited basis to reduce the number of
specimens used, and combined with the utilization of modern technology to maximize the
educational value absorbed by students. By reducing the number of animals used in dissections it
will be more cost effective and less wasteful while at the same time allowing for the extra money

to be spent on more efficient methods such as virtual dissections. Also by not completely
removing dissections from the education process the students wont miss out on the aspects
unique to dissections such as the texture, sound, consistency, or smell. Dissections should
continue to be allowed in schools if a compromise could be made between the two opposing
views as they are split very evenly.

Works Cited:
1. Kariuki, P. & R. Paulson. 2001. The Effects of Computer Animated Dissection
versus Preserved Animal Dissection on the Student Achievement in a High School
Biology Class. Unpublished Paper, Presented at the Annual Meeting of a MidSouth Educational Research Association, Little Rock, Arkansas. 10/26/15
2. Animals used in Education. PETA. 2015. Web. 10/26/15
3. Christopher Perillo. Are virtual dissection simulations an acceptable substitute
for real animal specimens? National Education Association. January 2007. Web.
10/26/15
4. Animal Dissection vs. Non-Animal Alternatives: A cost Comparison.
Animalearn. Web. 10/26/15