CHICKEN WING DISSECTION LAB (Online)
An incredible amount of information can be found by examining the bones of a chicken. Please read all the
details of this fun project.
What to submit for your lab report on your blog
 The text of the lab exercise
 Questions answered and photos added sequentially within the text.
Objectives
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Identify and describe the structure and function of bone, tendon, ligament, and cartilage
Identify and describe muscles and their function
Relate gross anatomy with microscopic anatomy
Gain experience dissecting fresh biological material
This lab exercise requires careful use of sharp tools. Use extreme caution with these sharp objects.
Materials
Chicken leg or wing (Gallus domesticus)
Examination gloves, if you have and want to
use
Tray or plate
Dissecting tools (small knife, scissors,
tweezers)
Paper towels, soap
Magnifying tool, if you have one
Procedure
1. Put on gloves. Thoroughly rinse and dry chicken leg or wing. Place it on a plate or tray.
2. Examine the outside skin tissue. Record at least 4 observations of the chicken skin. (1 point)
3. Using scissors, knife, and tweezers, work slowly and carefully to cut the skin and peel it away from the
muscle below. Notice the clear connective tissue that holds the skin to the muscles. The probe may be
the most effective tool. As you peel off the skin, you may need to cut away some connective tissue.
4. Record at least 4 observations of connective tissue. (1 point)
5. Take a photo (.5 point)
6. What specific type of connective tissue is this? (.5 point)
7. Observe the yellowish clumps of fat tissue found outside the skin. Record at least 2 observations of the
fat. (.5 point)
8. What is the biological term for the type of cells that store fat? (.5 point)
9. Name at least 2 functions of this fat. (1 point)
10. Observe bundles of muscle tissue surrounding the bones. Separate the bundles of muscles by separating
them out with your fingers. Begin by inserting your thumb into the muscle by pushing through the
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connective tissue covering the muscle. It will give way at the natural separations between the muscle
bundles.
Viewing through a magnifying tool, if you have one, (but still do if you don’t) describe 2 characteristics of
the arrangement of the muscle bundles as you see them here. (.5 points)
Using your textbook or another reference, sketch a representation of the muscles starting with the
muscle cell and ending with the whole muscle. Cite your source! (3 points)
What type of muscle tissue are you viewing? (.5 point)
Name the function of this type of muscle tissue. (1 point)
Name 2 two characteristics of this muscle tissue. (.5 point)
Nerves are thin, threadlike, white strands found between the muscle and the nearest bone. Remove a
single muscle by cutting the tendons and peeling the muscle away from the bone. Look for the nerve in
your specimen. The texture is much different from a tendon or bone. It is rather slippery. Did you find
one? (.5 points)
Take a photo of the muscle and nerve or only the muscle, if you did not find the nerve. (.5 point)
The strong, shiny, white cords of tendons hold the muscle to the bones. Some of these tendons pulled
away from the bone as you separated the muscle bundles.
Observe with a magnifying tool, if you have one, describe, and sketch
a. the attachment of tendon to muscle. (.5 point)
b. the attachment of tendon to bone. (.5 point)
19. Take a photo. (.5)
20. Cut across the tendons at the elbow and peel back toward the carpal joint as if you were peeling a
banana. Observe the numerous tendons and pull the freed muscles down and away from the bone.
Don't cut any ligaments that attach bone to bone.
21. Take a photo. (.5)
"Dissection of the Chicken Wing & Comparison to Human Arm." We Love Teaching. n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2015.
22. Look closely at the ligaments with a magnifying tool. Describe 2 differences in appearance between
tendons and ligaments. (.5 point)
23. What type of connective tissue composes the ligaments? (.5 point)
24. Remove all remaining muscle to expose the bones of the chicken leg.
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25. Take a photo. (.5)
26. Bend the elbow. Refer to pages 113-115 in your textbook and answer these questions.
a. What type of joint is this? (.5 point)
b. What type of movement is being demonstrated? (.5 point)
27. Cut into the elbow joint and separate the ulna and radius from the metacarpals. Observe the shiny
white layer covering the ends of the bones. Name this covering according to its primary tissue and
specific type. (1 point)
28. Describe the texture of the ends of the bones at the joint. (.5 point)
29. Name three functions of bone. (.5 point)
30. If you could see inside the bone. What soft material would you find? Do not break the raw chicken bone.
There is danger from bone fragments flying out. (.5 point)
31. Name three specific types of cells present here. (1.5 points)
32. Explore and examine other parts.
33. Dispose of materials. Using warm water and soap thoroughly wash all tools and materials, including your
hands and the surface you worked upon.
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