Fetal pigs are unborn pigs used in elementary as well as advanced biology classes as objects for dissection. Pigs, as a mammalian species, provide a good specimen for the study of physiological systems and processes due to the similarities between many pig and human organs.

Humans and Pigs may be closer than you think! Both are mammals We share common body systems The anatomy of the pig is close to that of humans The fetal pigs will tell us more about our own bodies and give us a way to explore! SAFETY FIRST! Descriptive words are used to describe “where” on an animal.

Studying the anatomy of a fetal pig through dissection allows students to explore these systems in detail and gain a better understanding of mammalian anatomy, including the similarities and differences with human anatomy.

Fetal Pig – Dissection of the Lower Arteries. Trace the abdominal aorta (also called the dorsal aorta) to the lower part of the body, careful tweezing of the tissue will reveal several places where it branches, though some of the arteries may have been cut when you removed organs of the digestive system. The hepatic artery leads to the liver ...

Identify external urogenital structures of the male and female fetal pig. Successfully complete dissection of the fetal pig. Identify, on your fetal pig, each structure from the labeled photographs. Several different pig dissections were used to obtain the photographs below.

Pigs are mammals. Consequently, all of the major structures found in humans are present in the fetal pig. With proper directions, they can all be readily found, especially with large, full term fetal pig specimens. There are a some differences in structural details, mostly relatively minor in nature. Some examples are given below. Muscles

1. The fetal pig is a mammal, like humans. Nearly all major structures are the same or similar in anatomy. While there are some interesting differences between pigs and humans (see some comments under the ‘hints and tips’ page), the most important things are very similar. 2. Fetal pigs are not bred for the purpose of dissection. They are a

Objective: In this exercise you will examine the organization of the many body systems studied this semester in the context of a single specimen, the fetal pig. Be sure to identify the major organs as you explore the extent of each system. Examine the fetal pig and locate the external features shown above.

FETAL PIG DISSECTION. THE VISCERA This should be a review of fetal pig freshman studies, and will help you to see embryo organ placement in younger stages. We are going to examine the contents of the body cavity, called the viscera.

Examine the fetal pig in the jar which has an injected placenta, with arteries in red and veins in blue. Compare it to placentas of sheep, cat, other mammals shown mounted in jars and to the human placentas we have seen.