Dissection Guide to the Rat

side
Lateral-toward the side
Medial-toward the middle
Proximal-closer to the the base of

a structure
Distal-farther away from a structure

separate the skin from the muscle
Use scissors to cut along

ventral midline
Be careful to cut only the skin
Make four lateral incisions
Remove the skin from the body

on your lab report.

the center of the body cavity and down to the

feet and through to the arms. These cuts were made so the skin could be neatly folded back and pinned in place.

exposed, then by making careful incisions, the interior organs can

be exposed. Carefully cut into the throat being sure not to cut though the masseter, digastric or the mylohyoid. When the body cavity is laid open the first organs that are seen are the large brown livers, cecum (most commonly mistaken for the stomach), and the small and large intestines. After removing the intestinal group the stomach, pancreas, and spleen become much more visible. Moving to the respiratory system that lies under the rib cage, carefully but firmly cut up the center of the ribcage. This is will break the breast bone and the ribs when they are pinned back. Opening the rib cage will expose the heart and lungs

of the muscles, and internal anatomy
Copy and include a drawing

of the skeletal system
Write out your conclusion questions