Fetal Pig Dissection

This week in class, we completed the Fetal Pig Dissection lab. Instead of pairing off in groups like we had previous years, Mrs. Girard had one pig, and dissected it herself, while we all observed. I thought this was a very interesting perspective, especially since I have some prior experience with dissecting fetal pigs. Last year in Anatomy and Physiology, which I took zero period as a tri-school class, we were fortunate enough to be able to preform this dissection as well. The only difference was that we did it ourselves, rather than watching a teacher do it. Personally, I think that there are pros and cons to each method, so I am glad that I got to see this both ways. Last year, it was very nice to be able t o preform the dissection hands on. I felt that I had a better idea of what exactly was doing, and got to see things more clearly and close up. I also got a better sense for the fact that I was handling what had been a living animal, and it gave the process a sense of reverence. One of the cons to this approach is that I am, at best, an amateur dissector. That means that I did not have the cleanest cuts, nor was I able to see everything as clearly as I might have liked. This is why watching Mrs. Girard, who has preformed this dissection countless times, was an enjoyable experience that I am glad I was fortunate enough to have. Mrs. Girard was able to cut clean lines, and find each and every organ to show us. Even if the angle was sometimes poor or the view not as close-up or thorough as I might have liked, it was interesting to see the dissection done by someone who knows what she is doing.

An example of fetal pig anatomy, which we could see clearly during the dissection.

Seeing the inside of the pig displayed how it was supposed to be, it was very easy to see the similarities between pig and human anatomy. I thought it was very interesting that pigs and humans are so similar on the inside, but have so many differences when you are looking at them. You can really get a sense of Evolution in action when you look at an organism like that.

Because I had done this dissection before, the questions that popped up in my head were more about the systems and how or why they related to human systems, more than the actual anatomical specimens in front of me. Most questions I raised were brought forth by things Mrs. Girard was discussing while she showed us the different sections of the pig. I really enjoyed this dissection, and am glad that I was able to take part in it, even if I was more of a spectator in the process.