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Rat Dissection Lab

Fifth graders of Will Rogers
Winter 2006

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTION 1:

Explain the directional terms how
do they differ in a rat vs. a human?

Directional Terms

Cranial/Superior

Dorsal
Posterior

Ventral/Anterior

Dorsal/
Posterior

Anterior

Ventral

Caudal/Inferior

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External Anatomy and Physiology

Distinguishing features of
mammal
Hair, Mammary glands
with external openings

Lips surround mouth

Philtrum is deep cleft in
upper lip

Pinna around the ears fold

to conduct sound
Vibrissae (whiskers) for
maintaining balance

External Anatomy and Physiology

Male rats
Scrotum contains testes in ventral posterior part
Penis contains opening to urinary and genital
organs of the male

Female rats
Urinary and genital openings are separate
Urethral opening separate from vaginal orifice

Tail with many scales and few hairs

Four tendon bundles in length of tail
Pull to move

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Internal Anatomy
Cut rat from posterior end of abdomen to neck
region
Locate diaphragm, thoracic cavity with lungs, heart
Locate abdominal cavity

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Digestive and Excretory Systems

STUDENT DISCUSSION
QUESTION 2:
Describe the flow of
digestion in the rat. Which
organs are involved?
STUDENT DISCUSSION
QUESTION 3:
What is the function of the
caecum? Why is it
important to handle it
carefully?

Reproductive System

Males
Testes in scrotum
Epididymis on surface
of testes
Urethra opens to penis
Prostate gland and
seminal vesicle
Females
Ovaries and fallopian
tubes
Uterus divided into two
uteri, called horns

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Respiratory System
Heart has two atria and two ventricles
Pulmonary circulation to lungs, systemic circulation to
body
Locate trachea and inflate the lungs

Brain Dissection
Cut rat skull and remove brain from spinal cord
Slice brain into right and left hemispheres
Note white and gray matter

Olfactory lobe in anterior

Locate cerebrum and cerebellum

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LabSafety
SOPsreferredtointhislab:N/A
Nochemicalsareusedinthislab
Potentialhazards:Thereisminimalhazardinthislab.Theratsarebredina
controlledenvironmentandscreenedforinfectiousagents.
Individualswithallergiestorodentsmayexperiencesymptomsandshould
takeprotectivemeasuresifnecessary.
Cautionshouldbeusedwhenworkingwithscalpels,pinsandscissors.

PPErequired:

Gloves
Labcoat

Wastedisposal:
Animalpartsmustbeplacedinthe
blackbagontheTAbench.
Noapplicatorsticks,pinsordissecting
toolsintheblackbag!

RequiredPPE

Labcoat

Gloves

Standardlabattire

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Histology next week!

Topics to present for next week

What is the function of the thymus? What type

of cells would you expect to see there?
What would you expect to see under the
microscope when looking at a slide of skeletal
muscle?
What is atherosclerosis? (New addition this quarter! Will
need to look it up online not covered in the lab manual yet.)

Every student must present once during the quarter.

Presentations are brief and help the rest of the class
understand the concepts in the lab.

Credits
Zina Zhang
Agnes Zapata
Fifth Graders of Will Rodgers