Heart Dissection
Name ______________________________ Date _____________
Aim
To study the anatomy of the heart, to compare the sizes of different structures and to relate
the structures to their functions.
Apparatus
sheep's heart,
a dissection board,
dissecting tools.
plastic gloves
ruler
Method and Data Collection
Look for the trachea and the oesophagus. (If you don't have any share with someone else)
Trachea.
Oesophagus.
Notice the cartilage thickening
to stop the trachea from
The thick red layer round the
collapsing when you breathe.
outside is made from muscle?
It is used for peristalsys.
There is a thin white
epithelium on the inside,
The white inner layer is the
covered in cillia and
epithelium.
mucus. You will not see the
cillia.
Before you remove the oesophagus and trachea from your heart - draw a simple cross-section
diagram of each. Measure the thickness of the tube walls and the diameter of the
lumen. Label your diagrams. Include error analysis.
© David Faure, InThinking [Link]/biology
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Heart Dissection
Work out which is the dorsal (back) and ventral (front) side of the heart. The ventral side is the
most convex (rounded). The thick walled arteries come from this side too. Identify the parts of
the heart shown in the diagram below: The side shown in this diagram is the ventral side
(rounded side). Don't cut it yet.
Aorta Pulmonary artery
The two vena cava go
The pulmonary vein
into the right atrium on
goes into the left atrium
the back
on the dorsal side.
(dorsal side)
Coronary artery and
vein
When you need to see
inside the right When you want to open
ventricle, cut here. the left ventricle cut
here.
What is the heart's surface like? Explain why?
Describe any differences in colour that you can see between
coronary arteries and veins?
Measure the largest diameter of coronary artery and coronary
vein you can see on your heart? Record your result here
(include error analysis)
Ventral side of sheep's heart
© David Faure, InThinking [Link]/biology
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Heart Dissection
Identify the Vena Cava and measure its lumen diameter and wall thickness? Record your result
in this space (include error analysis).
Carefully put a rubber tube into part of the vena cave, close off any other holes in the vena
cava and gently turn on the tap. From which blood vessel does water come out of the
heart? This is the pulmonary artery
Repeat the last step with the pulmonary vein. The water should flow out of the Aorta.
Measure the diameter of the two main arteries, the diameter of their lumen and the thickness
of their walls.
Cut open the left ventricle following the lines on the diagram above.
Turn the heart upside down and run water into the ventricle. Can you see the flaps of the
bicuspid valve?
Draw a simple sketch of one side of this valve with its suspensory ligaments. Label your
sketch. Put a 1cm scale bar on your diagram. Include error analysis.
© David Faure, InThinking [Link]/biology
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Heart Dissection
Cut the aorta leaving about 3cm above the heart. Run water into the Aorta from the top of the
heart. Describe the structure which you can see inside the aorta which stops the water?
Cut open the right ventricle by following the lines on the diagram. Measure the thickness of
the muscle in the wall of the right ventricle.
Cut into one atrium and measure the muscle thickness.
Is the muscle wall of the atrium thicker or thinner than the ventricles. Explain why this is the
case.
Cut into the other atrium and measure the wall thickness.
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Heart Dissection
Data Processing and Presentation.
Present all the numerical data you have collected in a clear way so that another biologist can
use it. How you do this is up to you entirely.
Then write a conclusion to compare the thicknesses of all the muscles you have measured in
your heart. Explain how the thickness of each muscle relates to its function. (i.e. say why a
muscle needs to be thick and strong, etc) Also include comparisons between the arteries and
veins which you have measured.
You may continue on this sheet or you can complete this work on your computer.
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