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The Fetal Pig And Human Anatomy

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Hypothesis I believe if we observe a fetal pig specimen, it will serve as a very helpful comparative tool in learning human anatomy because much of the fetal pig’s organ systems are very similar in anatomy and physiology to that of the human, as the pig and human are both mammals. From the fetal pig, we can gain an understanding of organ size, the relation between organ systems and how they function together as a whole.

Introduction Pigs are one of the most similar animals to humans, and can be analyzed to learn about the organ systems of the body. Both pigs and humans are mammals, omnivores, furless and featherless, and their fetuses receive nutrients from their mothers through the umbilical cord as they develop (Field). These …show more content…

In the fetal pig, the heart was enclosed in a pericardial cavity, with the right and left lungs on each side of it (Freeman, et. al). The mediastinum, which includes the pericardium, the esophagus, the trachea, and other structures separates the thoracic cavity into right and left sides (Field, pg. 11). The muscular diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal pelvic cavity, where the digestive and urinary systems are located (Field p. 11). As we worked through the dissection we were able to observe each organ system individually and look deeper into all of the anatomical structures that play a role in its function.
The purpose of the dissection was to develop a deeper understanding of how the anatomy and physiology of organ systems are influenced by each other. The dissection allows us to take the knowledge we’ve learned from the fetal pig and to apply it in the context of the human body, as a valuable learning experience.

Materials and Procedures
To observe the anatomy and physiology of the fetal pig through dissection, the procedures for Labs 22-26 of the Biology 1107 Principles of Biology Laboratory Manual, 2017 were followed directly. This includes all materials and steps included (Lombard, Terry, Malinoski, 2017, Pages

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