Materials
Shark
Gloves
Dissection kit
Dissection tray
Method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Garbage bags (large)
Kitchen garbage bags (white)
Goggles
Dawn dish liquid
Day 1
NOTE: Use extreme care with scissors & scalpel!
Obtain specimen & cookie tray. Obtain dissection kit. Put on goggles.
Wash shark twice with warm water & Dawn dishwashing liquid. Pat dry.
Spread two large garbage bags in work area, one on top of the other
Place cookie tray with shark on it on top of bags.
Locate all of the external anatomy items from the diagram on the specimen.
Answer questions 1-6.(put in Questions part of write-up)
Place the specimen ventral side up on the tray.
Make a transverse cut just above the pelvic girdle, anterior to the pelvic girdle.
(Use scissors. Pull up on scissor blades to avoid damaging internal organs.)
9. Make a transverse cut just below the pectoral girdle, posterior to the pectoral fins.
10. Make a mid-ventral incision, from the pectoral to the pelvic transverse cuts.
11. Use scissors to carefully remove the two flaps & dispose of them properly.
12. Rinse out the body cavity with water, at the sink. Pat dry.
13. Identify: liver, spleen, pancreas, esophagus/stomach, intestine & cloaca.
14. Lift median lobe of the liver to locate gall bladder & bile duct.
15. Answer questions 7-12. (put in Questions part of write-up)
16. Examine the exterior of the specimen. Answer questions 13-15.
17. If your shark is male, examine a female, and visa versa.
18. Locate the slender kidneys in the extreme rear of the body cavity, extending the
length of the cavity.
19. Answer question 16.
20. Double bag your shark with white kitchen bags. Write names and period on bag with
sharpie, place on cart.
21. Clean and dry all dissection tools and kit, return to teacher.
22. Wash and dry all sides of cookie tray. Return to teacher.
23. Dispose of black bags properly.
24. Clean and work space with disinfectant spray.
25. Wash hands with soap. Leave sinks and counters clean and dry.
Method Day 2
1.
Place the specimen ventral side up on the tray. Obtain dissection kit. Put on
goggles.
2. Cut through the pectoral girdle to locate the heart.
3. Place the specimen dorsal side up on the tray.
4. Shave/peel away skin and muscle layer from area between & anterior to the eyes,
with the scalpel.
5. Remove tissues superior to the brain case.
6. Carefully shave away cartilage of cranium, exposing the brain. Keep the scalpel as
horizontal as possible to avoid damage to the brain tissue.
7. Expose nerves leading to the nostril from the olfactory lobes.
8. Expose nerves leading to the eyes from the optic lobes. Answer questions 17 & 18.
9. Dispose of all shark parts properly.
10. Clean and dry all dissection tools and kit, return to teacher.
11. Wash and dry all sides of cookie tray. Return to teacher.
12. Clean and work space with disinfectant spray.
13. Wash hands with soap. Leave sinks and counters clean and dry.
Questions
1. What is the function of the lateral line system?
2. Are the nostrils dorsal or ventral.
3. Are the claspers dorsal or ventral?
4. What is the function of the spiracles?
5. Where are the spiracles located? Be specific.
6. What is the function of the ampullae?
7. How many lobes does the liver have?
8. Into what does the stomach empty?
9. Which two organs does the bile duct connect?
10. What special structure is located inside the intestine?
11. What is the function of # 10 above?
12. Why are there so many blood vessels present in the intestinal area?
13. Is your shark a male or a female? How can you tell?
14. Is this shark oviparous, viviparous, or ovoviviparous?
15. What is the function of claspers?
16. What are two functions of the kidneys?
17. What is the function of the olfactory lobes of the brain?
18. What is the function of the optic lobes of the brain?
Include the following in the write-up: Introduction (without hypothesis),Materials, Results,
(Include Observations, Functions table, Diagrams) Questions,
Conclusions Except : hypothesis, sources of error