Download Name: Investigation of a Chicken Wing Purpose The purpose of this

Name: _______________________________
Investigation of a Chicken Wing
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to observe the interaction of muscle and bone using a chicken wing as
a model. After completing this investigation, you should be able to demonstrate the function of flexors
and extensors, describe the tendons and ligaments, explain the difference between cartilage and bone,
and show how muscles and bones fit together.
Materials
One raw chicken wing
Pen or pencil
Lab questions
Scissors/scalpel
Rubbing alcohol
Procedure
Part A: Skin
1. Flex the chicken wing and observe the skin. Note how it stretches. What material enables the skin to
stretch instead of crack? __________ ____________
2. What function do you think is served by the bumps on the skin? ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. These bumps are similar to what structures in human skin? __________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Cut through the skin layer as shown in Figure 1. Be careful to avoid cutting the muscle tissue
underneath the skin.
5. Peel the skin off the wing. You will not be able to get all the skin off; remove as much as possible. If
you are unable to peel the skin, dip the wing in a beaker of alcohol. This will make it easier to remove
the entire skin layer.
6. What type of tissue holds the skin to the muscle? _______________ _________________
7. As you remove the skin, you’ll notice how greasy it seems. What skin part causes this greasiness?
_____________________________________
Part B: Muscle
There are three types of muscle: striated (skeletal), cardiac, and smooth. Striated muscle is voluntary
muscle; these are the muscles you can move at will. Smooth muscle is involuntary; you have no control
over its movement. Organs such as the stomach and the intestines are made up of this type of muscle.
Cardiac muscle is striated involuntary muscle that makes up the heart.
8. Which type of muscle do you find in the chicken wing? _______________________
9. Is this voluntary or involuntary? _____________________________
10. Pull on the various muscles in the middle, or forelimb, of the wing. Describe the resulting bone
movement. _______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
11. Find an opposing pair of muscles on the wing. Draw a picture showing the opposing muscles and
where they attach to the bone.
12. Remove one entire bundle of muscle, including one of the tendons. Tendons are white, cord-like
endings of muscle made of strong connective tissue. Cut the tendon from the bone as close as possible
to where it attaches to the bone, away from the end of the muscle.
Draw a picture of the muscle and tendon, and draw an arrow pointing to the end of the muscle that was
attached to the bone.
Part C: Bone
13. Remove all the muscle from the upper limb, forelimb, and wingtip. Examine the bones.
14. Name the human bone most like the upper limb bone of the chicken wing (Figure 3).
____________________________________
15. Name the two human bones most like the forelimb bones of the chicken wing.
____________________________
____________________________________
16. How many joints are there between the upper limb and the forelimb? ________________
17. What do we call the tissue that holds the bones together at the joints? ______________________
18. What color is this connective tissue at the joints? _________________________
19. Is the cartilage different from the bone in color or to the touch? Describe.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
Could the muscles function if they were not attached to the bone? Explain.
Answer Key
1. What material enables the skin to stretch instead of crack?
2. What function do you think is served by the bumps on the skin? They hold each feather. Muscles in
them can contract to life the feathers, creating air pockets, so the bird can keep warm.
3. These bumps are similar to what structures in human skin? Hair follicles
6. What type of tissue holds the skin to the muscle? Connective tissue
7. What skin part causes this greasiness? The fat
8. Which type of muscle do you find in the chicken wing? Skeletal muscle
9. Is this voluntary or involuntary? voluntary
10. Pull on the various muscles in the middle, or forelimb, of the wing. Describe the resulting bone
movement. When you pull on a muscle, it pulls on one of the bones that it is attached.
11. Find an opposing pair of muscles on the wing. Draw a picture showing the opposing muscles and
where they attach to the bone. See drawing
12. Draw a picture of the muscle and tendon, and draw an arrow pointing to the end of the muscle that
was attached to the bone. See drawing
14. Name the human bone most like the upper limb bone of the chicken wing (Figure 3).
humerus
15. Name the two human bones most like the forelimb bones of the chicken wing.
Radius, ulna
16. How many joints are there between the upper limb and the forelimb? one
17. What do we call the tissue that holds the bones together at the joints? tendons
18. What color is this connective tissue at the joints? White
19. Is the cartilage different from the bone in color or to the touch? Describe. Cartilage is bright white
and smooth.
Conclusion - Bones and muscles cannot work without each other. Muscles need attachment points on
the bones so they can pull the bones. If muscles were not attached to bones, neither could move.