Download Appendix - Lab Inquiry Sheet

Flex Your Biceps - Student Lab Inquiry Sheet
Objective: Observe how the various organ systems present in a chicken wing work together to
move the joint. Comparative this understanding to the homologous structures found in frogs,
humans, and other vertebrate animals.
Standards: S7L2. Students will describe the structure and function of cells, tissues, organs, and organ
systems. e. Explain the purpose of the major organ systems in the human body (i.e., digestion, respiration,
reproduction, circulation, excretion, movement, control, and coordination, and for protection from disease).
S7L5. Students will examine the evolution of living organisms through inherited characteristics that
promote survival of organisms and the survival of successive generations of their offspring.
Part 1:
Obtain a heavy (3-5 lbs) object from your teacher such as a dumbbell. Using proper “bicep
curl” form (your teacher may need to demonstrate), raise and lower the object from hip to
shoulder several times. Place your free hand on top of your working arm and feel the changes
in your arm as the motion changes. Repeat this process several times.
Answer the following questions:
What parts of the arms could you feel working?
Which bones moved and which ones did not?
What parts of your body do you think were working even if you could not feel them?
Part 2:
Lab Activity:
1. Obtain a pair of gloves and a chicken wing for your group in a dissection pan.
Sketch what the wing looks like, identify the upper wing and lower wing.
2. Sketch what a human arm looks like, identifying the upper and lower portions of
the arm.
3. Have one person in the group obtain dissection scissors and have one person in the
group carefully peel the skin from the wing.
4. What do you think the thin, transparent layer covering the bone
is?_______________________________________________________________
5. Carefully remove the connective tissue with the scissors.
6. Use toothpicks provided to separate the muscles. What do you notice about the
arrangement of the muscles around the bone?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. Hold the wing out straight (don’t hold too tightly) and have your partner carefully
pull on each muscle with a toothpick. What do you observe?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
8. Examine the tendon that connects the muscles to the bone as well as any blood
vessels and/or nerves. What is the role of each of these tissues?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9. Finally, cut away enough tissue to expose the joint (don’t cut through the muscles
though) and move the joint back and forth. Describe what happens to the muscles
as the joint moves.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
10. Dispose of chicken in appropriate container and clean up work area. Your teacher
will provide appropriate instructions for clean up. Wash hands thoroughly.
11. Complete attached lab questions about the interaction of the organ systems.
Part 3: Let’s Get Thinking!
1. Explain the relationship between the muscles and bones with regard to movement of
the joint.
2. Which tissues need the most energy to carry out their function and how do they get it?
3. How do messages about movement get to the tissues in the chicken’s wing?
4. What role do you think the blood vessels play in relationship to the bone, muscles, and
skin of the chicken wing?
5. How is a bird wing different from a human arm? How is it similar?
6. Describe what happens in your arm each time you raise and lower it (be sure to
mention the movement of bones, muscles, and tendons):
Part 4:
Extension: Explain why after multiple repetitions of the bicep curl your arm becomes
tired and even sore. Explain this in terms of cellular respiration and fermentation.