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Sheep Brain Dissection Lab Report

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The purpose of the sheep brain dissection is to appreciate the complex structure of the brain in three dimensions. Also list, identify, and describe the important structures of the sheep brain and compare with those of the human brain.
Materials:
• Preserved sheep brain
• Dissection tray
• Scalpel
• Scissors
• Pins
• Tweezers
• Gloves
• Safety glasses
Procedure:
• Obtain a preserved sheep brain from the bucket and place this on a dissection tray.
• Examine the outer surface of the brain and locate the dura matter (the outer toughest layer of the brain).
• Remove the dura matter.
• Place the brain on dissecting tray and position its ventral surface upward. Identify olfactory nerve, optic nerves, optic chiasm, pons, medulla oblongata, and spinal cord.
• Position the brain with its ventral surface down and identify cerebral hemispheres, cerebral lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital), cerebellum, longitudinal fissure, and transverse fissure.
• In same position (with the ventral surface downward), make a longitudinal cut along the longitudinal fissure using a scalpel all the way down, and separate the cerebral hemispheres.
• Identify the corpus callosum, white and gray matters of the brain, thalamus, hypothalamus, lateral ventricle, and pineal gland.
• After finishing …show more content…

For example, I saw how the different areas of the brain including cerebral hemispheres, brain stem, pons, medulla oblongata, and cerebellum are connected with each other and perform their functions. Also, by comparing the size and shape of a human’s brain with sheep’s brain, I learned and realized that the human brain is much larger to the sheep brain, especially the large frontal lobe on a human brain that gives the personality and decision making ability to human beings. Additionally, the sheep brain is oriented anterior to posterior whereas the human brain is superior to

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