7th Grade Science Lab: Chicken Wing Dissection
Purpose: To learn about human skeletal muscles by observing the “arm” muscles of a
chicken.
SAFETY FIRST: GOGGLES, APRONS AND GLOVES MUST BE WORN FOR
THE DURATION OF THIS LAB.
This experiment involves the use of household bleach as a preservative treatment for your chicken
wing specimen. Bleach is a corrosive chemical. We will follow proper safety procedures and wear
goggles, protective gloves and disposable aprons for this experiment. In addition, you will also be
using sharp instruments (dissection scissors, dissection pins and forceps), please handle with care to
avoid injury to yourself and others. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU REMEMBER HOW
TO MOVE ABOUT THE LAB WHEN HANDLING THE MATERIALS IN THIS EXPERIMENT.
CLEAN UP AND WASTE DISPOSAL: Please dispose of all waste materials in the
designated waste receptacle and return your used equipment and instruments to the designated
area. Once you have completed your experiment, please wash your hands, first with the gloves on.
Remove the gloves and wash your hands again. Then, to avoid salmonella bacteria contamination
from raw chicken, thoroughly wipe your bench down with disinfecting wipes. You should also wipe
down the pencil that you used during the procedure. After wiping down the area, please wash your
hands one final time. When washing your hands in the lab, please primarily use the sink at the back
of the lab. Please use caution when washing hands as the water is forceful and the sinks are small.
Keep hands deep into the sink to avoid splashing the area around the sink. If you do splash, please
wipe up the water.
Personal safety: If you feel nauseous or squeamish during the experiment, please let a teacher
know immediately so that we can have you step out into the hall for some fresh air.
Materials:
-prepared chicken wing
-paper towels
-dissection scissors
-forceps
-protective gloves
-protective disposable apron
-dissection tray/liner
Procedure: You will be working in groups of two-three with your designated lab partner(s). You will
take turns in the roles of experimenter and recorder. You will need to take turns dissecting the
chicken wing so that you both get hands on experience in dissecting. Please note the upcoming
section in the experiment were you are required to switch roles. A large portion of this experiment is
how well you perform the tasks set forth in the experiment. To document that you have accurately
identified various parts of the chicken wing, you are required to have a teacher initial various portions
of this experiment. Please work slowly and carefully to avoid destroying parts of the wing before you
have completely examined it.
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1. Once you have received your chicken wing, carefully place it into the dissection tray in this
position: (See diagram below)
2. Now that you have your chicken wing, carefully draw a diagram in the box below of the
external structure and label the following major parts: upper arm, elbow, lower arm and hand
(wing tip).
Question: How many bones are there in the upper arm:______
3. Using the diagram above, carefully use the forceps to lift the skin from the muscle. Stick the
scissor tip between the muscle and the skin, pointing toward the skin and away from the
muscle. Open the scissors to tear the skin from the muscle. You will see clear connective
tissue. Pull the skin back gently. Use the skin and forceps to cut the skin and peel it away
from the muscle below.
4. Work slowly and carefully until all skin is removed. Please have you teacher initial that you
have successfully removed the skin from your chicken wing and then, refer to the chart on
page 5 and give the description of skin.
TeachTEhere
Teacher initials:
2
5. You will see a layer of fat right under the skin. The fat makes the skin greasy and difficult to
hold. You may need to blot it with a paper towel. Refer to the chart on page 5 and describe
the fat.
6. Observe the bundles of pale, pink muscle tissue surrounding the bones.
7. Using the diagram below, locate the biceps and triceps.
8. Please have your teacher initial that you located the biceps and triceps.
Teacher initials:
9. Gently pull on the biceps and triceps and biceps.
What happened when you pulled on the triceps?___________________________
What happened when you pulled on the biceps?___________________________
10. Refer to the chart on page 5 and describe muscles.
PLEASE SWITCH ROLES WITH YOUR LAB PARTNER. THE PARTNER WHO IS COMING OFF
THE DISSECTION MUST FOLLOW THE SAFE LAB PRACTICE GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF
THIS PROCEDURE AND THOROUGHLY WASH YOUR HANDS!!!
11. Use the tip of your forceps to find the tendons of the chicken wing. They are shiny, white
tissue at the end of muscles. Tendons connect muscle to bone. Please have your teacher
initial that you located a tendon.
Teacher initials:
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12. Refer to page 5 and describe tendons.
13. Remove the muscles from the bones so that you can examine the bones of your chicken
wing.
Illustrations of the Homologies of the forelimb in six vertebrates:
Illustrations of the bones in a chicken wing:
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14. Using the illustrations on page 4 as a guide, show your teacher the radius, ulna and humerus
of the chicken wing. Have your teacher initial that you saw these bones.
Teacher initials:
15. Examine the joint between the upper wing and lower wing and identify the ligament. A
ligament connects bones to other bones at joints. Refer to the chart on page 4 and describe
ligament.
16. Bend and straighten the joint and observe how the bones fit together. The shiny, white
covering of the joint surfaces is made of cartilage. Refer to the chart on page 4 and describe
cartilage. Have your teacher initial that you found cartilage.
Teacher initials:
STRUCTURE
DESCRIPTION
(color, texture, shape)
FUNCTION
(i.e. its purpose)
Skin
Fat
Muscle
Joint
Ligament
Tendon
Cartilage
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