Chicken Leg Dissection

Purpose/Objective: To become familiar with observation and dissection techniques (equipment/terminology) when completing a comparative anatomy lab To make inferences about homologous structures in the study of human anatomy (compare the chicken leg structuremuscles, bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage to what you have learned about the human skeletal and muscle system) To observe (see) and name the bones and muscles of the lower leg To observe the origin and insertion of the lower leg muscles To compare the movement of cold and warm muscles and to identify opposing muscle groups To see what the inside of a long bone looks like and to see the bone marrow Materials: Dissecting tray Dissecting probe Notebook Writing instrument Pair of rubber gloves Magnifying lens Chicken Leg/Thigh (pre-soaked in a mild bleach solution) 1. Identify the lab equipment 2. Note: the chicken was soaked in a mild bleach solution to inhibit bacterial growth. BE CAREFUL not to get the solution on your clothing. BE SURE to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water at the end of each lab 3. Read the lab for a complete understanding of the process. MAKE SURE that you have a complete understanding of what you will be doing before obtaining the materials 4. Select one person to obtain materials. Stay at your place; speak quietly with your lab partners. Part 1: Examine the chicken. Draw a picture of it. Look closely at the skin. Can you see where the feathers once were? ______________. What function does the skin serve? ______________ _____________ ________________ _______________ Remove the skin. The membrane that attaches the skin to the muscles is called ____________. Part 2. Examine the skinless chicken. Draw a picture of it. Move the leg while the muscle is still cold. You will move it again near the end of the lab to see if there is a difference in moving a cold muscle vs. a warmer one. Is there a difference? ____________________ Which direction are the muscle fibers? ________________ Where do they start and end? _________________. The start is called the ______________. The ending point is called the _______________. Using a dissecting probe, try to separate the muscle groups. Then try to separate out an individual muscle fiber. Draw a picture of what you see. What are the names of the muscles? ____________ ______________ _______________ (Hint: use the muscle handout) Part 3. Remove the muscle bundles from the bone. The connective tissue that attaches muscles to bone is called _______________. What is the name of the connective tissue that covers the ends of the bone? ________________ After removing the muscles, you should see bones. Which bones do you see? _____________ _______________ ________________ Notice the hinge joint of the knee. Can you see the ball and socket joint, as well? ________________ With teacher assistance, break the long bone. Examine the inside of the bone. Do you see the bone marrow? _________ Describe it. _________________________________________________________ Clean-up expectations: Place the chicken in the bag provided Rinse the dissection tray and other equipment Put the equipment in the designated area Clean floor and table area thoroughly Wash hands using soap and water Lab reflection. Write about your lab experience. In list or paragraph form tell six things that you have learned.