Summative Dissection Activity – Written Lab Report
Introduction
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State the objectives for this lab.
Show the taxonomy for the rat and human. (Find the following for each species and create a table: (Kingdom,
Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) Based on the taxonomy, how similar is the rat to humans?
Research and list 3 similarities/differences between humans and rats.
Why can we use rats as a specimen to study human anatomy?
Observations/Results
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Include copies of all drawings, properly labeled.
(Diagrams are to be attached at the end of the report as part of an Appendix.)
Diagram the external lateral view of the rat
o Identify the gender of the rat
o Label everything that you can identify
Diagram an anterior view of the opened mouth of the rat
o Identify the different teeth and tongue
o If visible, you can label the palates or other structures inside the mouth/throat
Diagram the exposed internal thoracic cavity of the rat
Diagram the exposed internal abdominal cavity of the rat
o Label the following organs in the previous TWO diagrams:
 Mouth
 Large Intestine
 Teeth
 Pancreas
 Tongue
 Liver
 Larynx
 Kidney
 Esophagus
 Testes/ Ovaries
 Stomach
 Diaphragm
 Small Intestine
 Heart
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Aorta
Vena Cava
Lungs
Spleen
Trachea
Any other organs you
feel are relevant
Attempt to remove the (abdominal) digestive system in-tact so that you can diagram it; you may also decide to chart
the relative sizes and position of the organs/tissues.
Conclusion
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Respond to the objectives of the lab.
How does the rat compare with an adult human? (With respect to the major systems learned in the internal
systems unit: Digestive system, respiratory system, and circulatory system)
o Ex. Compare the teeth of the rat and a human, what does that indicate about their diet?
o Ex. Does the diet of the rat and human explain any differences in their digestive systems?
Describe any unexpected results from the lab or methods to improve the results/ effectiveness of the lab.
Appendix
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This section contains all diagrams, tables, and charts that are not part of the main body of the report.
Works Cited
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Include a Bibliography of ALL sources you use for this report. (Include after the appendix)