Dissection of A Mammalian Heart (Pig)

Christopher Dietlein February 1st, 2011 Biology 12, Block 2-2

Purpose: To observe and study the structures and functions of a mammalian heart (pig). Reference: Observations: -Heart was less red than expected due to myocardial muscle. -Blood inside the heart had congealed into a dark red, jelly-like substance similar to cranberry sauce. -Atria were very small compared to ventricles. -Valves were very thin, and translucent. -The Chordae Tendinae that controlled the valves were very stiff. -The muscle layers on the left ventricle were very thick: at least 3 centimetres. -The Mitral Valve was shaped like a Miter hat. -The Aorta had very thick walls compared to the Vena Cava Questions: 1.) The Vena Cava receives deoxygenated blood from all parts of the body and sends it into the Right Atrium. The Right Atrium contracts (systole) forcing the deoxygenated blood through the Atrioventricular Valve (tricuspid) to the Right Ventricle. From the Right Ventricle deoxygenated blood travels through the Pulmonary Aortic Valve to the Pulmonary Trunk. The Pulmonary Trunk divides the blood into the Left and Right Pulmonary Arteries which travel to the lungs. In the lungs blood is oxygenated. As oxygenated blood leaves the lungs it travels though the Pulmonary Veins to the Left Atrium. The second Atrioventricular Valve (Mitral) opens allowing oxygenated blood to enter the Left Ventricle. The Left Ventricle pumps oxygenated blood out of the heart and into the Aorta from which it travels to the rest of the body. The Tricuspid Atrioventricular Valve is located between the Right Atrium and the Right Ventricle. The valve itself seemed to have three sections. It was connected to the Papillary Muscles by three Chordae Tendinae strands. The Valve regulates the amount of blood entering the Right Ventricle from the Right Atrium during the systole of the Right Atrium. The Mitral Atrioventricular Valve is found at the entrance of the Left Ventricle from the Left Atrium. This valve has two halves which are controlled by separate Papillary muscles and 3 Chordae Tendinae much the same as the Tricuspid Valve. The Mitral Valve controls the quantity of blood leaving the Left Atrium and entering the Right Ventricle during systole of the Right Atrium. There are two Semi-Lunar Valves located at the exits of the ventricles. Similar to Valves inside of veins Semi-Lunar Valves do not have Chordae Tendinae. Arteries have thick walls for two reasons: they need to withstand a great deal of pressure from the blood inside them and their muscular structure can expand and contract to help regulate blood flow. Veins are much thinner walled so that they be used to store extra blood; if there is a shortage anywhere in the body veins will contract causing an increase in blood pressure.

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The Left Ventricle has particularly thick muscle walls (myocardium) as it needs to pump blood out of the heart and to the entire body. The Right Ventricle, however, only needs to pump blood to the lungs and back into the heart so its muscles are much weaker. 4.) The Foramen Ovalis is an opening between the Left and Right Atria in a Fetus' heart. It allows blood to bypass the lungs since they cannot yet gather oxygen. If the Foramen Ovalis. If it failed to close at birth it would allow some deoxygenated blood to continue bypassing the lungs. The deoxygenated blood would get pumped out of the heart and there would be a shortage of oxygen in the body. The heart would have to work much harder to compensate for the losses. 5.) Coronary Arteries with provide the heart with oxygen are located at the beginning of the Aorta just past the Semi-Lunar Valves. They must be located past the valves so that when the left ventricle begins to expand (diastole) blood is not drawn from the arteries. Blood can only enter the arteries during diastole of the Ventricles because the valve is closed. Conclusion: The Pig heart proved almost identical to the heart of a human. It had four chambers (Left and Right Atria and Ventricles) and all of the same valves (Tricuspid, Mitral and Semi Lunar Valves) and arteries and veins (Vena Cava, Pulmonary Arteries and Veins, Coronary Arteries and the Aorta) as a human heart. The pig heart also had Chordae Tendinae to control its valves. There did not appear to be any sort of marking or indent left by the Foramen ovale between the left and right Atria. Having no idea of the age of the animal that the heart was taken from makes it difficult to form a hypothesis as to why; although if the animal was fully mature the Fossa ovalis may have thickened to the point that it was undetectable. Although the heart of a pig proved very similar to a human heart, may there be great difference between some types of mammalian hearts?