Gross Tissue Dissection
When you finish this exercise you should be able to:
1. Describe the general pattern of structure in the 4 tissues found in the body
Materials:
Chicken Wing, bone forceps
Gross Tissue Samples: Gross (large) examples of connective tissues often give one a more complete mental image of the
4 tissue types. Gross specimens are available to explore the TEXTURE, CONSISTENCY, LOCATION and OTHER physical characteristics of the connective tissues involved with the chicken wing.
Observe the skin’s superficial and deep portions, the covering of the muscle tissue, the tendons and ligaments, the tissue structures at the joint between the bones, attempt to identify the tissue types based upon what you know. In this part of the investigation you will observe epithelial, connective, nervous, and muscle tissue of a chicken wing.
Materials
Chicken wing, Paper towels, Dissection Scissors, Bone cutter, Dissecting tray, Dissecting needle
Procedure
1. Obtain the chicken wing from your teacher.
2. Rinse the chicken wing under running water and thoroughly dry it with paper towels. Place the chicken wing in a dissecting tray on top of a paper towel.
3. Examine the skin covering the chicken wing.
4. Carefully cut the skin along the entire length of the chicken wing. Try not to cut through the muscles located below the skin. See if you can detect the difference between epidermis and dermis
5 . Notice the yellowish tissue found in small clumps on the underside of the skin. This tissue is loose connective tissue called adipose.
6. Observe the muscles on the chicken wing. The muscles are covered with a layer of connective tissue that give them a slick appearance. This connective tissue is dense fibrous (regular). The muscles themselves are formed by bundles of pale pink tissue that surround the bone.
7. Observe the shiny white tissue, or tendons, at the ends of the muscles. These are also dense fibrous (regular) connective tissue made thicker by the combined muscle cell coverings. Tendons attach muscle to bones.
8. Notice the whitish tissue, or ligaments, between the bones. These are also dense fibrous (regular) connective tissue.
Ligaments hold bones together.
9. CAREFULLY use the bone cutter to cut through the wing joint. Use the scissor to snip away or scrape away any muscle and tendon. Notice the slick white cartilage covering the ends of the bones. This is hyaline cartilage connective tissue.
10. CAREFULLY use the bone cutter to cut through the middle of one of the bones. Use the dissecting needle to scrape away some of the reddish material on the interior of the bone. This is the bone marrow and some blood cells. This represents two types of connective tissue; the marrow contains reticular connective tissue, and the blood is fluid connective tissue. Additionally you are looking at compact bone, dense connective tissue, surrounding the marrow cavity.
11. Once you have examined each tissue type thoroughly, call Mrs. Ogle over to show her all of the tissue types you identified for a stamp.
12. Clean your tools, tray, and counter with a dissecting wipe.
13. Wash your hands with soap and water.
Questions:
1. Identify the following types of tissue as connective, muscle, nerve, or epithelial and briefly state their functions. It is it a type of connective tissue specify it’s exact type.
A.
Tendon-
B.
Nerve-
C.
Adipose-
D.
Blood-
E.
Skin-
F.
Ligament-
G.
Bone-
H.
Muscle-
2. What are the 3 types of muscle tissue, and what type did you view during the lab?
3. What is the function of the hyaline cartilage found on the ends of bones?
4. Why would a bird be unable to fly if there was damage to the nerve in the wing?
5. How does the lab demonstrate that the structure of a tissue determines it’s function.