Bio 20 Pig Heart Dissection

Introduction

The heart is a muscular organ which is located in the chest under the breast bone. Its walls are
composed of cardiac tissue held together by strands of connective tissue. A tough
membranous sac, the pericardium, surrounds the heart, and the resulting cavity is filled with
pericardial fluid which reduces the friction as the heart beats. The heart is composed of four
chambers, two atria and two ventricles. Veins carry blood to the atria of the heart and arteries
carry blood away from ventricles of the heart. Valves ensure one-way blood flow.

Purpose

The purpose of this lab is to observe and study the structures of a mammalian heart.

Materials

Pig heart Dissection Tray Lab aprons

Dissection Kit (sign out and in) Gloves Safety Goggles

Safety

 Always Make cuts away from your body.

 Hearts are preserved in a chemical – limit your exposure by washing the heart and tray
when you get it, wearing gloves at all times and washing your hands with soap at end of
dissection.
 This preservative is slippery. You will need to wash the heart and your tray after you get
it to avoid slipping while cutting.
 Make long, smooth cuts, progressively cutting deeper into the heart.
 Never have your partner hold the heart while you cut.
 Keep safety goggles on at all times.
 Do not use the teasing needles. They are sharp. Only use the blunt ended mall probe.

Procedure

Prep

1.Get your goggles, aprons and gloves on.

2.Get your heart, dissection tray, dissection kit (sign out)

3.Rinse your heart and dissection tray with water to get rid of excess preservative. Pat dry with
paper towel.

4. Place the heart on the dissecting tray facing you with the apex towards you. Identify the front
and back of the heart, the top and the bottom.

External

5.Notice the positions and size of the two atria, found on the top, in comparison to the
ventricles, found on the bottom: The relative thickness of the walls can be noted by feeling the
walls of the chambers. Notice the difference in thickness of the right and left ventricles.

6. Locate and observe the following blood vessels (they can be found on the backside):

 Aorta thick-walled vessel leaving the left ventricle

 Coronary Arteries(not always visible) thick-walled vessels leaving the aorta
 pulmonary artery thick-walled vessel leaving the right ventricle
 superior vena cava thin-walled vessel entering the right atrium from above
 inferior vena cava thin-walled vessel entering the right atrium from below
 pulmonary veins four thin-walled vessels leading to the left atrium

Try to go through the superior vena cava into the right atrium with your mall probe

Note the difference in thickness of the aorta versus the pulmonary veins

Try to go through the aorta into the left ventricle with your mall probe

Try to see if you can get your pulmonary arteries to link up using your mall probe

Internal

7. Find a comfortable way to hold the heart on its side. (Your partner should NOT hold the heart
for you while you cut). Cutting away from you, make a long, thin, smooth incision along the side
of the heart down the middle. Retrace this incision over and over, cutting deeper each time.
Repeat/continue this incision along the other side. This part will be tough. Be patient and take
your time.

8. Once you get to the inside you will have to cut through the septum. Gently pull back the top
of the heart while you cut through the septum. Notice where your hands are while you cut
through the septum.

6. Locate and observe the following:

 Right Atrium
  Left Atrium
 Right Ventricle
 Left Ventricle
 Chordae Tendineae
 AV Valves
 Semilunar Valves
 Septum

Observe the sizes of the left and right ventricles. Is one larger?

Observe the wall thickness of the atria and the ventricles. Which have thicker walls?

Observe the texture of the chambers of the heart. Are they rough or smooth?

Clean-Up

1. Clean up all organic material from your workbench, desk, floor, sink and surrounding
counter by wrapping it in paper towel and putting it into the garbage.

2. Wash dissecting tools thoroughly, dry them with a single paper towel, and return them
in their kit (sign in).

3. Wash and dry the dissection trays and return to the front.

4. Return your goggles, aprons and dispose of your gloves

5. Wash your hands!

See Miss. Gunderson for post-lab questions if you finish early.