Part I - Dissection of the Fetal Pig

First obtain your fetal pig.  Lay your pig in your dissection pan and examine the external features of your pig.

You should notice that your pig has a cut on the right side of its neck.  This is where the blood was drained from the pig and latex was injected into the arteries and veins of the pig.

Which color represents the veins?  _________  Why?

Which color represents the arteries? __________ Why?

Vocabulary Review:  

                             ventral - towards the belly

Dorsal - towards the back

Anterior - to the front

Posterior - to the back

External Anatomy of the Fetal Pig

Click here for a labeled diagram of the external features of the fetal pig.

Look at your pig.

Observe the:

v     Large head

v     Short Neck

v     Trunk with two pairs of appendages.

What have the nails of the pig been modified to be?

v     Tail -which is an extension of the vertebral column

v     Umbilical cord

What is the function of the Umbilical cord?

v     Nipples (external openings of the mammary glands; found on both male and female pigs)

 v     Hair

Where do you find hair on your pig?

v     Anus (located under the tail)

The anus is the opening for what body system?

Where is the other opening for this system?

v     Urogenital opening

Females - anterior to the anus;  a small fleshy urogenital papilla projects from the urogenital opening

Males - posterior to the umbilical cord.

In males what to systems are joined in the urethra?

What sex is your pig?  (You are responsible for identifying both!) 

Click here for some help.

On to the Oral Cavity