Mini Science 8
Optics
Activity 6­4
Dissecting a Sheep Eye
Name: Kevin
Partner 1: Kevin Pun
Partner 2: Jacob Ollivier
Directions:
1. Make a copy of this document and place it in Science folder. Put your names in the title
e.g. “Lastname1, Firstname1 and Lastname2, Firstname 2 ­ Activity 6­4 ­ Dissecting a
Sheep Eye”
2. Obtain all necessary equipment for the dissection. Mr. Leung will discuss with you in
class what you need.
3. There are three jobs in your group:
i. one person will be responsible for dissecting the eye
ii. one person will be responsible for recording observations
iii. one person will be responsible for taking pictures.
4. Follow the instructions on pp. 212­213 “Activity 6­4: Dissecting a Sheep Eye”
5. For every part of the eye that is found, you must do the following:
i. take a picture of it and place it the appropriate table (Picture)
ii. make observations of what you see (Observations)
iii. describe the function of each part of the eye (Function)
6. Answer the questions at the end of this document and hand in 1 copy per group.
Sclera
Cornea
Observations
Function
Rubbery
To protect the eye.
Observations
Function
Slippery
The cornea bends light rays
towards your retina.
Mini Science 8
Optics
Activity 6­4
Dissecting a Sheep Eye
Optic nerve
Vitreous humor
Observations
Function
Hard and stubby
To take the information from
the retina and send it to the
brain.
Observations
Function
To fill the space in between
your lens and your retina.
Retina
Choroid coat
Observations
Function
Felt scaley
To capture the image
coming through your lens.
Observations
Function
Very rubbery and fat.
The fat and muscle that
protects your eye from
moving or touching the
bones.
Mini Science 8
Optics
Activity 6­4
Dissecting a Sheep Eye
Lens
Iris
Observations
Function
Harder than I thought it
would be.
Changes it’s shape to
change the focal distance of
the eye.
Observations
Function
To either expand to let more
light in or shrink to let less
light in.
Put your answers below each question.
Analyze
1. List four differences between the anatomy of a sheep eye and a human eye.
a) The sheep eye is significantly larger than the human eye.
b) The sheep eye has more tissue than the human eye.
c) Sheeps have 4 muscles to move their eye, humans have 6.
d) The color of the sheep eye is slightly darker.
2. Is the image that is cast on the retina at the back of the eye upright or inverted? Draw a
ray diagram to explain your observations.
3. Describe the appearance, colour, shape, and feel of the lens from the sheep eye.
Conclude and Apply
1. Make a labelled diagram of a cross section of the sheep eye that includes all of the
structures you studied.
2. You may have observed that the retina seemed to be continuous with the optic nerve. Do
Mini Science 8
Optics
Activity 6­4
Dissecting a Sheep Eye
you think the retina is part of the brain? Explain.