Download Rat Dissection Lab

Rat Dissection Lab
Team Members:___________________
____________________
Station:______
_____________________
_____________________
Day 1 Recorder ___________________
Day 1 Objectives:
1. Identify key external features on your rat.
2. Remove the skin from your rat’s stomach.
Day 1 Procedure:
1. Use the following list of terms to label the six regions of the body:
thoracic
pelvic
abdominal
cranial
pectoral
cervical
2. Cut the skin of your rat as demonstrated by the teacher.
3. Team Reflection: What does your group think so far? Compare and contrast the organs in the rat
with what you have learned in class this year.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Get a Ziplock bag and write your team members names on the bag with the sharpie.
5. Wrap your rat in a damp paper towel. Place your rat in the Ziplock bag, being sure to squeeze
out as much air as possible.
6. Clean your lab station, tools, and tray. Replace the paper towel in your tray.
7. Wash your hands.
Day 2 Recorder: _____________________
Day 2 Objectives:
1. Remove the skin from one of the front legs.
2. Identify several major muscles.
3. Identify a tendon.
4. Open the abdomen and identify the diaphragm.
Day 2 Procedure:
1. Get your teams’ rat.
2. Remove the skin from the front leg of your rat, as shown by the teacher.
3. Identify the following muscles. (Check off each muscle your team identifies and record where it is
located on the body.)

Muscle
Biceps Brachii
Triceps Brachii
Pectoralis Major
Obliques
Deltoid
Diaphragm
Location/Region
4. Describe what one of the muscles looks like in detail. Make sure to include what muscle it is.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Sketch one of the identified muscles here:
please label the muscle.
6. Location of a tendon identified:
__________________________
7. Cut open abdomen as demonstrated by the
teacher.
8. Wrap your rat in a damp paper towel. Place your rat in your Ziplock bag, being sure to squeeze
out as much air as possible.
9. Clean your lab station, tools, and tray. Replace the paper towel in your tray.
10. Wash your hands.
Day 3 Recorder: _____________________
Day 3 Part A Objectives:
1. Identify the major organs in the
abdomen. Identify what organ is missing.
2. Open the stomach. Sketch it here:
Day 3 Part A Procedure:
1. Get your teams’ rat.
2. Open the abdomen and identify the
organs shown to you by the teacher.
Record their functions in the chart below
(if given).

Organ
Stomach
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Appendix
Kidneys
Liver
Pancreas
Esophagus
Spleen
Descending Aorta
Inferior vena cava
Bladder
Function
Day 3 Cont’d Recorder: _____________________
Day 3 Part B Objectives:
1. Open the pectoral region and the cervical region.
2. Identify the major organs of the respiratory system and the circulatory system.
3. Identify several glands.
4. Remove and open the heart. Sketch
it here:
Day 3 Part B Procedure:
1. Get your teams’ rat.
2. Cut open the pectoral and cervical regions as demonstrated by the teacher.
3. Identify the organs and glands shown to you by the teacher. Record their functions in the chart
below (if given).

Organ/Gland
Function
Lungs
Heart
Atria
Ventricles
Thymus
Trachea
Esophagus
Mandibular gland
Lymph node
Aorta
Jugular veins
Carotid arteries
4. What was your group’s favorite thing today? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Place your rat in your Ziplock bag, being sure to squeeze out as much air as possible.
6. Clean your lab station, tools, and tray. Replace the paper towel in your tray.
7. Wash your hands.


Muscle
Biceps Brachii
Triceps Brachii
Pectoralis Major
Obliques
Deltoid
Diaphragm
Organ
Stomach
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Appendix
Kidneys
Liver
Pancreas
Esophagus
Spleen
Descending Aorta
Inferior vena cava
Bladder
Location/Region
thoracic
thoracic
pectoral
abdominal
thoracic
Dividing thoracic and abdominal
Function
Mechanical digestion/food storage
Absorption of nutrients
/water absorption
Cecum: Cellulose (grass) digestion
Remove wastes from blood
Produce bile, help digest fat, filter blood of harmful substances
Makes enzymes to help digest fats and carbohydrates
Move food to stomach
Blood storage and recycle damaged RBC’s
Blood to lower body
Blood from lower body to heart
Stores urine

Organ/Gland
Lungs
Heart
Atria
Ventricles
Thymus
Trachea
Esophagus
Mandibular gland
Lymph node
Aorta
Jugular veins
Carotid arteries
Function
Gas exchange
circulates blood through body
Receive blood
Pumps blood
Makes WBC’s
Air passage tube (windpipe)
Passageway for food from pharynx to stomach
Makes saliva
Filters bacteria from blood
Main artery that sends blood to body
Take blood from head area back to heart
Carry blood from heart to head