Cow Bone Dissection
Name:________________
_____________________
Period:___ Date: ___/___/_____
Purpose: For students to recognize structures found in cow femur or tibia.
Question: Does a cow femur or tibia have similar structures to a human femur or tibia?
Materials:
1 cow femur or tibia section (only part of the bone)
1 lab tray
1 piece of brown paper
1 set of dissection tools
*Some of the dissection tools are VERY SHARP! If you are not careful, you can hurt
yourself or others
If there is ANY playing around or other unsafe behavior (such as taking tools from
others without asking, you will be removed from the lab and receive a “0”
1. Draw the bone section from the outside view, then the inside view.
Label these parts in your drawing
Compact bone
Spongy bone
Red bone marrow
Yellow bone marrow
Periosteum
Epiphyseal line
Outside view
Inside view
2. Does your bone section come from a femur or tibia?
________________________
3. Circle where you think your
bone section comes from:
4. Use your finger to push on the spongy bone.
Did the bone feel soft like a sponge?
_______________
5. Use the probe to poke 3-4 holes in the
spongy bone.
Did anything come out?
________________________________
What color was it? ________________________________
What do you think it is? _________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Use your finger to push on the compact bone.
How does it feel?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
7. Use the probe to poke 3-4 holes in the
compact bone.
Were you able to poke holes in it?
______________________
Did anything come out?
_________________________________
8. Use a spoon to scoop out the yellow bone
marrow.
How did it feel?
________________________________
Take a piece of the yellow bone marrow and
draw a line on the brown paper
Were you able to see any holes in the
bone? _________________
Did you find any blood vessels?
_____________________________
* 9. Flip the bone over
10. One person holds the bone down, one
other person uses a hemostat to pull off
the periosteum.
Was it easy to pull off? __________________
Were you able to see any holes under it?
_______________________
11. Look for muscle tissue and cut some off the
bone using the dissection scissors and the *scalpel.
(REMEMBER TO CUT AWAY FROM YOUR HAND OR YOUR
PARTNER’S HAND)
Was it easy to cut off? _________________
Was the muscle attached to the bone or something else?
____________________________
12. Look for something white and shiny. Feel it
with your fingers.
How does it feel? (circle your answer)
hard/soft/rough/smooth/strong
Where did you find it? (circle your answer)
Inside the bone/at the end/in the spongy bone
13. Clean up!
DO NOT TAKE OFF YOUR GLOVES UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEANED
YOUR AREA!
a. Place the bone in the container labeled “bones”.
b. Carefully place the used instruments in the “dirty
instruments” container.
c. Place the newspapers and table covering in the trash
d. Wipe off your table with the disinfectant wipes.