Download External anatomy for the Cat: A Dissection Activity Explore your

External anatomy for the Cat: A Dissection Activity
Explore your specimen’s external anatomy using the following procedure:
 Don lab apron or coat, gloves, and eye protection (these if desired).
1. Position, then draw and label a dorsal, ventral, and lateral view of whole
specimen. Label superior, inferior, anterior, posterior, caudal, and cranial as
they apply.
2. With the specimen in dissecting tray, identify features that are mammalian
evolutionary adaptations that distinguish them from other types of
organisms.
3. Locate and examine the following structures:
o Head, including eyes and eyelids;
o pinnae (external ear structures);
o mouth;
o nares (nostrils);
o philtrum (cleft in upper lip); and
o vibrissae (long, stiff hairs around the mouth/cheeks, eyes and
forelimbs).
o Neck,
o trunk, including mammillary papillae (teats),
o anus,
o urogenital opening or scrotum and penis (prepuce), and
o tail.
o Forelimbs including shoulders, elbows, wrists, feet, toes, claws, and
tori (foot pads).
o Hind limbs including hips, knee, ankles, feet, toes, claws, and tori
(foot pads).
4. Separate the upper and lower eyelids. Locate and examine the third eyelidthe nictitating membrane.
External Anatomical Terms for the Cat- Quizlet Definitions (online review material from
https://quizlet.com/50042201/cat-external-anatomy-and-skin-flash-cards/)
General terms- head and body:
anal opening -located at base of tail dorsal to the urogenital orifice
buccales labiales-mandibularis
buccales labiales-maxiallaris
--vibrissae on lower lip
--vibrissae on upper lip
infraorbitalis -vibrissae below eye
nares –nostrils situated on external nose
nictitating membrane -3rd eyelid that helps to moisten and clean eye
philtrum -groove that clefts lip in center
pili carpales -long hairs on forefeet
pinna -long, flexible external fold which directs sound waves into the external auditory
meatus
plica semilunaris- greatly reduced nictitating membrane
scrotum -contains testes
supraorbitalis -vibrissae above eye
teats/nipples -external openings of mammary glands located on ventral surface of trunk
usually 4 on each side
vibrissae/pili tactile- sensory hairs on face
zygomatici buccales -vibrissae on cheek
Locomotion-oriented:
digitigrade -animals walk on digits with the remainder of hand and foot elevated
manus -forefoot
pes -hindfoot
plantigrade -(humans) walk on entire sole of foot
tori -thick pads on bottom of cats foot
torus carpalis -covers accessory carpal bone
torus digitalis -pads on 5 digits of forefoot
torus metacarpalis -larger pad that serves as cushion for joint betwee metalcarpals and
proximal phalanges
torus metatarsalis -pads on hindfoot
tori tarsali -pads on hindfoot
unguligrade -(horse/cow) walk on hoofs
Hair-related:
arrector pili -skin muscles
cortex -elongated cells that surround medulla
cuticle scale-like cells that cover cortex
follicles pits in skin where hair is located
medulla -central portion of hair
root portion of hair in follicle
sebaceous and sudoriferous -skin glands
shaft -exposed portion of hair in follicle
Nictitating Membrane (vertical eyelid)plica semilunaris
Vibrassae (2 of 3 sets on the cat)