Chicken Dissection

CHICKEN DISSECTION
Barliso, Angela
Camarillo, Jessalyn
Dabon, Harvey
Espaol, Jenny Marie
Labrado, Luzvilla Marie
Liempo, Mariejayn
Llames, Ma. Angela Lariz
Salih-Donadillo, Maria Josefa
Yaun, Irine
Osmea Blvd., Cebu City

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to explore and examine the unique features of a chicken through a
dissection. Chicken was chosen as the representative organism for this activity because of its
similarity to humans specifically in terms of its digestive system. Aside from its digestive tract,
other areas: skin, muscles, bones, respiratory tract and heart were also observed in this laboratory
activity.
INTRODUCTION 3. Dissecting tray and dissection equipments

were prepared.
The bird is a vertebrate whose body plan is
adapted to its requirements for flight. For 4. With gloves on, the chicken was rinsed
example, the skeletal system is lightweight with water and was placed in the dissecting
and very strong. The flight muscles of the tray.
chest may make up one fifth of the total
mass of a bird's body. Birds have extremely 5. The skin of the chicken was first
great energy requirements because of their examined. All observations were recorded.
high metabolic rate. The unique air sacs of 6. The skin was slowly removed using the
their respiratory system provide them with a scalpel.
continuous supply of oxygen. In line with
their needs for a streamlined, lightweight 7. Muscles under the skin were examined
body, birds' reproductive organs are small and all other observations were recorded.
and inactive for most of the year. During the
8. Using the scalpel, the chicken was cut
breeding season, however, the male and the
through the keel in the midventral line
female reproductive organs increase greatly
revealing the internal organs.
in size.
9. Any connective or fatty tissues that were
METHODS
clinging to the organs were removed.
1. Laboratory gown and face mask were put
10. Each organ of the chicken was examined
on prior to any laboratory activity.
and observed.
2. A whole chicken was obtained.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
SKIN
The skin of the chicken was pale, pink, and thin but has elasticity, and was slightly opaque.
While removing the skin, yellow and creamy fats were seen attached to the skin.
BONES & MUSCLES

The muscular system comprises approximately three quarter of the body weight of the chicken.
They have three types of muscles: smooth, cardiac, and skeletal. The muscles of the chicken
have a pale pink color and are firm and thick. The breast meat of chicken is often referred to as
white meat. The leg meat, such as thigh meat, typically is referred to as dark meat. The skeletal
system of a chicken includes some unique features like: some vertebral (sections of the
backbone) for flight, the sternum allows the attachment of the main flight muscles, the size of the
skull is proportionally small because a large head would make flying difficult, the tail is short
section of fused bones called a pygostyle, the neck is long in some species and it is flexible and
acts as a shock absorber, protecting the delicate tissue of the brain from too much jarring when a
bird lands.
RESPIRATORY TRACT
The chicken respiratory system begins at the head region and is involved in the following
functions: the absorption of oxygen, release of carbon dioxide, release of heat, detoxification of
certain chemicals, rapid adjustments of acid/base balance, and vocalizations. Chicken lungs are
relatively small, are firmly attached to the ribs and do not expand.
DIGESTIVE TRACT
The digestive tract begins at the mouth, includes several important organs, and ends at the
cloaca. Food picked up by the beak enters the mouth. Chickens do not have teeth, so they cannot
chew their food. However, the mouth contains glands that secrete saliva, which wets the feed to
make it easier to swallow. The chicken uses its tongue to push the feed to the back of the mouth
to be swallowed. Right after the mouth, the esophagus carries food from the mouth to the crop
and from the crop to the proventriculus. The crop is an out-pocketing of the esophagus and is
located just outside the body cavity in the neck region. When the crop is empty or nearly empty,
it sends hunger signals to the brain so that the chicken will eat more. The esophagus continues
past the crop, connecting the crop to the proventriculus. The proventriculus (also known as the
true stomach) is the glandular stomach where digestion primarily begins. The ventriculus, or
gizzard, is a part of the digestive tract of birds often referred to as the mechanical stomach.
Consumed feed and the digestive juices from the salivary glands and proventriculus pass into the
gizzard for grinding, mixing, and mashing. The remainder of the digestion occurs in the
duodenum, and the released nutrients are absorbed mainly in the lower small intestine. The large
intestine is where the last of the water reabsorption occurs. In the cloaca, the digestive wastes
mix with wastes from the urinary system (urates).
HEART
In broad terms the heart acts as the pump that pumps in two directions:
1. To the lungs where the carbon dioxide in the blood is removed and the
oxygen replaced
2. To the rest of the body to deliver the nutrients and oxygen to the cells and
to collect wastes and carbon dioxide
The blood leaves the heart via arteries called the aorta (to the body) and the pulmonary artery
(to the lungs). The blood always enters the heart via the vena cava vein (from the body) and
the pulmonary vein (from the lungs).
CONCLUSION
The students have expanded its knowledge about the external and internal features and were able
to distinguish the parts and the locations of the internal organs of the chicken.

Chicken Dissection

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CHICKEN DISSECTION

Espaol, Jenny Marie

Labrado, Luzvilla Marie

Llames, Ma. Angela Lariz

Salih-Donadillo, Maria Josefa

Osmea Blvd., Cebu City

INTRODUCTION 3. Dissecting tray and dissection equipments

BONES & MUSCLES

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