Fetal Pig Structures Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata, Class Mammalia
For each structure, make sure that you know the location, the Male Reproductive System
appearance, the function, and what organ system it belongs to.
Scrotum / Testes
Epididymis / Vas deferens
Digestive System
Penis
Tongue / Salivary Glands Female Reproductive System
Pharynx Ovaries
Papillae (taste buds) Fallopian tubes
Soft palate / Hard palate Uterus / Vagina
Esophagus
Stomach
Circulatory System and Heart
Liver
Small Intestine
Atria / Ventricles
Duodenum Pericardium
Ileum (Jejunum) Coronary Arteries
Large Intestine (colon) Superior and Inferior Vena Cava
Cecum Internal and External Jugular
Gallbladder / Bile duct Pulmonary Artery
Pancreas Brachiocephalic
Pyloric Sphincter / Cardiac Sphincter Aorta and Aortic Arch
Common carotid / Left and Right Carotid
Mesentery
Abdominal Aorta
Rectum
Umbilical Vessels
Anus Mesenteric Artery
Renal Artery
Respiratory Intercostal arteries
Diaphragm Vessels of Extremities (extra credit)
Trachea Left and Right Subclavian
Cartilaginous rings Hepatic Artery
Splenic Artery
Bronchial tubes
External and Internal Iliac
Larynx
Ilio-lumbar artery
Epiglottis Femoral & Deep Femoral Artery
Pharynx Anterior & Posterior Tibial Artery
Lungs
Miscellaneous
Urogenital (Reproductive + Excretory)
Thyroid
Kidneys Spleen
Masseter Muscle
Ureter
Lymph nodes
Urinary bladder
Nipples
Urethra
Urogenital opening (urogenital papillae)
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Name: ___________________________________ Hour: ____ Date:______
Fetal Pig Dissection
External Anatomy of the Fetal Pig
1. Determine the sex of your pig by looking for the urogenital opening. In
females, this opening is located near the anus. In males, the opening is located near
the umbilical cord.
If your pig is female, you should also note that urogenital papilla is present
near the genital opening. Males do not have urogenital papilla.
Both males and females have rows of nipples, and the umbilical cord will be present
in both.
What is the sex of your pig? _____________
2. Make sure you are familiar with terms of reference: anterior, posterior, dorsal, ventral. In addition, you’ll need to
know the following terms
Medial: toward the midline or middle of the body | Lateral: toward the outside of the body
Proximal: close to a point of reference | Distal: farther from a point of reference
3. Open the pig’s mouth and locate the hard and soft palate on the roof of the mouth. Can you feel your own hard
and soft palates with your tongue?
Note the taste buds (also known as sensory papillae) on the side of the tongue. Locate the esophagus at the
back of the mouth. Feel the edge of the mouth for teeth.
Does the fetal pig have teeth? ________ How many? ________ Are humans born with teeth? _________
4. Use a scalpel to cut the angles of the jaw so that you can open the mouth up far enough to view the back of the
throat. Locate the epiglottis, a cone-shaped structure which closes when a pig swallows. The small opening in the
center of the epiglottis is the glottis and it leads to the trachea and then to the lungs. Make sure that you can distinguish
the glottis from the esophagus.
5. The pharynx is the cavity (space) in the back of the mouth – it is the junction for food (esophagus) and air
(trachea).
5. Gestation for the fetal pig is 112-115 days. The length of the fetal pig can give you a rough estimate of its age.
11mm – 21 days | 2.8 cm – 49 days | 4 cm – 56 days | 22 cm – 100 days | 30 cm -- birth
How old is your fetal pig? ______________
6. Observe the toes of the pig. How many toes are on the feet? _______
7. Observe the eyes of the pig, carefully remove the eyelid so that you can
view the eye underneath. Does it seem well developed? Do you think pigs
are born with their eyes open or shut? __________________
8. Carefully lay the pig on one side in your dissecting pan and cut away
the skin from the side of the face and upper neck to expose the masseter
muscle that works the jaw, lymph nodes, and salivary glands. The salivary
glands have an appearance like chewing gum, and are often lost if you cut too
deeply.
(Salivary glands image credit: Fetal Pig Dissection Manual, Alexandra Altamura )
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Internal Anatomy of the Fetal Pig
In this activity, you will open the abdominal and thoracic cavity of the fetal pig and
identify structures. Remember, that to dissect means to "expose to view" - a careful
dissection will make it easier for you to find the organs and structures. Be sure to
follow all directions.
The Incision
Place your fetal pig in the dissecting pan ventral side up. Use string to "hog-tie" your
pig so that the legs are spread. Use scissors to cut through the skin and muscles as
shown on the diagram. Do not remove the umbilical cord. In the first section, you will
only examine the abdominal cavity (the area below the ribcage).
After completing the cuts, locate the umbilical vein that leads from the umbilical cord
to the liver. You will need to cut this vein in order to open up the abdominal cavity.
Your pig may be filled with water and preservative, drain over the sink if necessary
and rinse organs. Locate each of the organs below, check the box. ✔
1. Diaphragm. This muscle divides the thoracic and abdominal cavity and is located near the ribcage. The
diaphragm aids in breathing.
2. Liver. This structure is lobed and is the largest organ in the body. The liver is responsible for making bile
for digestion.
3. Gallbladder. This greenish organ is located underneath the liver; the bile duct attaches the gallbladder to
the duodenum. The gallbladder stores bile and sends it to the duodenum, via the bile duct.
4. Stomach. A pouch shaped organ that rests just underneath and to the pig's left. At the top of the stomach,
you'll find the esophagus. The stomach is responsible for churching and breaking down food.
5. At each end of the stomach are valves that regulate food entering and leaving the stomach. At the
esophagus is the cardiac sphincter valve, and at the duodenum is the pyloric sphincter valve. View the
inside of the stomach by slicing it open lengthwise.
6. The stomach leads to the small intestine, which is composed of the duodenum (straight portion just after
the stomach) and the ileum (curly part).
7. The ileum is held together by mesentery. In the small intestine, further digestion occurs and nutrients are
absorbed through the arteries in the mesentery. These arteries are called mesenteric arteries.
8. Pancreas: a bumpy organ located along the underside of the stomach, a pancreatic duct leads to the
duodenum. The pancreas makes insulin, which is necessary for the proper uptake of sugars from the blood.
9. Spleen: a flattened organ that lies across the stomach and toward the extreme left side of the pig. The
spleen stores blood and is not part of the digestive system. On the underside of the spleen, locate the
splenic artery.
10. At the end of the ileum, where it widens to become the large intestine, a "dead-end" branch is visible.
This is the cecum. The cecum helps the pig digest plant material.
11. The large intestine can be traced to the rectum. The rectum lies toward the back of the pig and will not
be moveable. The rectum opens to the outside of the pig, or the anus. The large intestine absorbs water
from the digested food, any undigested food is stored in the rectum as feces.
12. Lying on either side of the spine are two bean shaped organs: the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible
for removing harmful substances from the blood, these substances are excreted as urine. (more on this later)
13. Two umbilical vessels can be seen in the umbilical cord, and the flattened urinary bladder lies between
them.
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Identify the structures on the diagram.
1. ____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________
4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________
6. _____________________________
7. _____________________________
8. ____________________________
9. _____________________________
10._____________________________
11._____________________________
12. ____________________________
13._____________________________
Identify the organ (or structure)
14. _____________________________A branch of the large intestine, a dead end.
15. _____________________________ Stores bile, lies underneath the liver.
16. _____________________________ Opening (valve) between the stomach and small intestine.
17. _____________________________ Empties bile into the duodenum from the gallbladder.
18. _____________________________ The last stretch of the large intestine before it exits at the anus.
19. _____________________________ Bumpy structure under the stomach; makes insulin
20. _____________________________ Separates the thoracic and abdominal cavity; aids breathing.
21. _____________________________ Membrane that holds the coils of the small intestine.
22. _____________________________ The straight part of the small intestine, just after the stomach.
23. _____________________________ Lies between the two umbilical vessels.
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Urinary and Reproductive Systems (Urogenital)
1. Locate the kidneys; which are bean shaped structures lying toward the back of the abdomen.
2. The ureters are tubes that carry urine to the urinary bladder. To find these, you may need to wiggle the
kidneys.
3. The urinary bladder is located between the umbilical vessels and stores urine.
4. Lift the bladder to locate the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.
5. Note the vessels that attach to the kidney – these are the renal vessels
Male
6. Find the scrotal sacs at the posterior end of the pig (between the legs), testes are located in each sac.
Open the scrotal sac to locate the testes. ( Testes is plural, testis is singular.)
7. Coiled around the testis is the epididymis. Sperm cells produced in the testes pass through the epididymis
and into a tube called the vas deferens (in humans, a vasectomy involves cutting this tube).
8. The penis can be located by cutting away the skin on the flap near the umbilical cord. This tube-like
structure eventually exits out the urogenital opening, also known as the urethra.
9. Use the bold structures above to label the diagram:
10. Describe the path sperm take from their formation in the testes to outside the body:
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Female
11. In the female pig, locate a bean shaped ovary located near the kidneys and connect to the curly oviducts.
The pig has a left and right ovary.
12. The curled oviducts are also referred to as uterine horns, which eventually merge at the uterus and then
become the vagina. Piglets develop in the uterine horns, where a female can produce 12 or more piglets.
13. The urethra exits near the anus at the urogenital opening at the urogenital papilla.
14. Use the bold structures above to label the diagram:
15. What structures can be found in both the male and female urogenital systems?
16. In humans, eggs form in the ovary and then travel into the Fallopian tube where they are fertilized. The egg
eventually implants into the uterus. What part of the pig anatomy is comparable to the Fallopian tube in humans?
17. Compare the location of the urogenital opening in female pigs to the urogenital opening in male pigs.
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Dissection of the Thoracic Cavity
You will need to cut through the pig's sternum and expose the chest cavity (thoracic cavity). →
1. Find the diaphragm [Link] diaphragm separates the abdominal cavity from the
thoracic cavity and it aids in breathing. Above the diaphragm, is the heart and lungs.
2. Remove the pericardium, which is a thin membrane that surrounds the heart.
3. The structures visible on the heart are the two atria (12,13), and ventricles (14)
4. The most obvious vessel on the front of the heart is the pulmonary trunk (1) . It
curves upward and joins the aorta (2) - a vessel which arches from the heart and curves
around to go to the lower part of the body where it is called the abdominal (dorsal) aorta
(9). The aorta supplies the body with blood.
5. The aorta has two branches above the heart: the right brachiocephalic (3) and the
left subclavian (5)
6. The right brachiocephalic then branches into the
common carotid (4) and the right subclavian (10) The
subclavians supply blood to the arms and follow the clavicle
bone
7. The common carotid (4) branches into the left (7) and
right carotid arteries (8). The carotid arteries supply blood to
the head and neck.
8. Locate the coronary vessels (6) on the outside of the
heart - they supply blood to the muscles of the heart.
9. Easy arteries to find are the ones that run near the ribs.
These are the intercostal arteries (11).
10. Lift the heart to look on its dorsal side (toward the back),
you should be able to see the superior and inferior vena
cava , which brings blood back to the heart.
11. Find the left and right jugular veins in the neck
near the carotid arteries, these drain blood from the head.
12. Locate two spongy lungs on the left and right side or
the heart.
13. The trachea is the airway to the lungs and is easy to
identify due to the cartilage rings, which keeps it from
collapsing. The trachea can be located in the neck area.
14. Lying atop the trachea, locate the pinkish-brown, V
shaped structure called the thyroid gland. This gland
secretes hormones that control growth and metabolism.
15. At the anterior (toward head) of the trachea, you can
find the larynx (or voice box). The larynx allows the pig to
produce sounds - grunts and oinks.
Identify by number and Label on the Image
Aorta ____ Dorsal Aorta ____ Pulmonary Trunk ___ Common carotid ____ Left & Right Carotid ____
Coronary vessels ___ Left Subclavian_____ Right Subclavian _____ Right Brachiocephalic _____
Right Atrium _____ Left Atrium _____ Intercostal _____ Ventricle _____
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1. _________________________________ Membrane over the heart.
2. _________________________________ Airway from mouth to lungs
3. _________________________________ Blood supply to head and neck
4. _________________________________ Lower heart chambers
5. _________________________________ Blood supply to lower body
6. _________________________________ Large veins that return blood to the heart
7. _________________________________ Vessel that leaves the heart and joins aorta
8. _________________________________ Used to make noises (voicebox)
9. ________________________________ Arteries on heart surface.
10. ________________________________ Supplies blood to the arms
11. ________________________________ Drains blood from the head and brain (returns to the heart)
12. ________________________________ Splits into the left and right carotid arteries
13. _________________________________ Muscle to aid breathing (separates abdominal and thoracic cavity)
14. _________________________________ Gland that secretes hormones that control growth
Fetal Pig – Dissection of the Lower Arteries
1. Trace the abdominal aorta (also called the dorsal aorta) to the lower part of the body, careful tweezing of the tissue will
reveal several places where it branches, though some of the arteries may have been cut when you removed organs of the
digestive system.
2. The renal arteries supply blood to the kidneys.
3. The mesenteric artery leads to the mesentery and branches into many smaller vessels. Look in the small intestine to
find this artery.
4. Trace the abdominal aorta and note where it joins the umbilical arteries.
5. The abdominal aorta splits into two large vessels that lead to each leg - the external iliac arteries will turn into the
femoral arteries as they enter the leg. (You may need to cut the muscle to locate these arteries.)
6. Follow the umbilical artery toward the pig, you'll find that it branches and a small artery stretches toward the posterior of
the pig - this is the ilio-lumbar artery.
7. The deep femoral branches from the femoral artery and goes toward the back of the leg.
Label the lower abdominal arteries on the pig.
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Practice Labeling
heart urogenital opening lungs urinary bladder liver
umbilical vein diaphragm small intestine spleen thymus
salivary glands larynx carotid artery
Practice Labeling
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umbilical artery diaphragm pancreas ureter stomach
umbilical vein duodenum spleen gallbladder liver
inferior vena cava small intestine kidney large intestine
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