Chicken Leg Dissection
Aim: In this Dissection, I will locate and describe the various tissues and structure of the drumstick and thigh of Chicken.
Equipment: Chicken drum with the thigh
Dissecting probe
Scalpel
Dissecting scissors
Paper towels
Dissecting tray
Gloves
Disinfectant hand wash and spray
Method:
- Place the chicken leg on a Dissecting tray and examine the exterior features. The tough outer layer is called the epidermis (Skin). The small bumps covering the skin is where the feathers were attached
- Examine the lower leg. This is called the drumstick and it is the equivalent (same as) of your lower leg. The large muscle at the back of the leg is the same as your gastrocnemius. It also includes two bones- the tibia (large one) and the Fibula (the smaller/thinner one.
- Examine the upper leg. On both the chicken leg and human, They both have a thing called the thigh this is called the femur
- Carefully pull the skin off by sliding it down and off the lower leg. You may need to use the scalpel to remove it. But be careful not to cut any muscle tissue.
- The muscles of the leg, like all muscles, work in bundles. Separate a bundle of muscle by inserting your thumb into the muscle of the lower leg. you'll notice that the muscle bundle is covered in a shiny lining called the fascia and this makes it hard to separate but if you push hard enough you will tear ut find that separating muscle bundles is a lot easier.
- At either end of the muscle, you will see white cord-like tissue. These cards are called tendons. Tendons attached to the bone.
- Using the scalpel, carefully remove all the muscles from the lower leg. using your dissection probe to examine any blood vessels you find and try to determine which muscles the blood is supplied to.
- Near the bone, you should see thin, thread-like strands. these are the nerves
- Using the dissection scissors, cut across the tendons that join the muscles to the bones. Be careful not to cut any ligaments that attach bone to bone. You should end up with all the bones still attached to each other, but no muscle tissue present.
- Move the bones around the joints, The main joint between the bones of the lower leg and the femur is a hinge joint like the one in your knee. Not how the bones can move only in one plane.
- Using your scalpel, carefully cut the ligaments, keeping the bones together.
- In the joint between, the nones is a piece of cartilage. Cartilage allows joints to move smoothly and protects the bones against shocks to the body.
- Break one bone in half and examine the marrow. This is where blood cells are made
- Clean up your work area. Ensure you clean your bench using antibacterial spray. Wash your hands thoroughly with plenty of antibacterial soap and water,
Results:
My observations from this experiment is that... The Chicken smells like a rubbish bin, but things I could see was each tendon and I ended up removing some, I could see and feel the muscles. The muscles feel like a more frim like an overcooked piece of steak. The tendons are not what I expected they feel like a very thin noodle type silicone. trough out this experiment I learnt how to understand the human leg skeletal muscle system by comparing it to the chicken. I saw how the joints work and why cartilage is needed, I saw tendons and ligaments and can now point them out on the human body
Here are some photos Iong the way.
