Instructions

PURPOSE

The student will explore the anatomy of a sheep’s brain.

MATERIALS

• Carolina Biological Supply item #228704: Perfect Solution Sheep Brain
• Dissecting Kit
• Safety Equipment (protective eyewear, gloves, mask)
• Camera (Digital or cell phone)

VERIFICATION

Take a selfie with your specimen first to include in your submission. Also, write your name and date on a notecard or piece of paper. You will place this paper in your images for additional verification.

PROCEDURE

A. EXTERNAL BRAIN ANATOMY

Obtain your sheep brain specimen for dissection. Read the instructions provided with your dissection kit and the Safety Data Sheet for Carolina’s Perfect Solution Download Safety Data Sheet for Carolina’s Perfect SolutionTWICE in order to properly observe the EXTERNAL anatomy of the brain. Follow the instructions for locating the following EXTERNAL structures:

• Frontal lobe
• Parietal lobe
• Occipital lobe
• Temporal lobe
• Cerebellum
• Medulla
• Gyrus
• Longitudinal fissure
• Central sulcus
• Olfactory bulb
• Optic nerve

Place your notecard or piece of paper with your name and date next to your dissected specimen. Use a digital camera to capture a minimum of four clear, in-focus photographs of your dissected specimen with the aforementioned structures, labeled using text boxes afterward. Alternately, you can take pictures pointing to the aforementioned structures with a probe.

B. INTERNAL BRAIN ANATOMY

Read the instructions provided with your dissection kit TWICE in order to properly observe the INTERNAL anatomy of the brain. Follow the instructions for locating the following INTERNAL structures:

• Corpus callosum
• Lateral ventricles (left and/or right)
• Third ventricle
• Cerebral aqueduct
• Fourth ventricle
• Medulla oblongata
• Pons
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Pineal gland
• Dura mater (if present)
• Pia mater
• Arbor vitae

Place your notecard or piece of paper with your name and date next to your dissected specimen. Use a digital camera to capture a minimum of four clear, in-focus photographs of your dissected specimen with the aforementioned structures, labeled using text boxes afterward. Alternately, you can take pictures pointing to the aforementioned structures with a probe.

DISPOSAL

Follow the disposal guidelines outlined in the dissection kit instructions from Carolina Biological Supply:

Specimens preserved in Carosafe® or Carolina’s Perfect Solution® are non-toxic and can often be disposed of in a regular waste destined for a landfill or incinerator. The specimens are not classifiable as federal hazardous wastes and do not represent a biohazard. However, you should check with your local solid waste authority (e.g., the local governmental authority in charge of solid waste, your local landfill, or your waste disposal company if applicable) to ensure that this is an acceptable practice. If it is, we recommend that you double bag the specimens before placing them in your regular waste.

Caution: If your residence is equipped with a septic tank system, seek advice before discharging Carosafe® or Carolina’s Perfect Solution® into it. Even these safe chemicals can upset the microbiological balance that is so important to the system’s proper functioning.

RESULTS

The photos of your dissected specimen will comprise your lab submission. Please label your photos (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) so that they can be referenced when grading.

Submission

Create your report using word-processing software, such as Microsoft Word and save it to your computer as a .doc or .pdf file.

Requirements: