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DISSECTION OF MAMMALS (NECK, CHEST AND ABDOMINAL REGIONS)

Mammals have successfully colonized most of the parts of the globe, from the tropical rainforests to Arctic
wasteland. All mammals have the same general body plan with some organs readily observed in situations like
when small mammals such as guinea pig, rats etc. are dissected.

The rat is a vertebrate, which means that many aspects of its structural organization are common with all other
vertebrates, including man. the similarity of structures among related organisms shows evidence of common
ancestry. In a way, studying the rat is like studying a human being and other mammals.

In this context, we will use the anatomy of a rat to generalize the anatomy of mammals.

MUSCULAR AND SKELETAL SYSTEM OF THE RAT

1. Biceps brachii: located on the anterior surface of the humerus.

2. Triceps brachii:located on the sides and back on the upper arm.

3. Spinotrapezius: located across the dorsal thoracic region of the rat.

4. Latissimus dorsi:located posterior ( and partially covered) by the spinotrapezius.

5. Biceps femoris: located on the side of the thigh, in two bundles.

6.Tibialis Anterior: located on the front of the leg.

7. Gastrocnemius: located on lower leg, bulk of the calf muscle. Attaches to heel by the Achilles Tendon.

8. External oblique: located on the sides of the abdomen.

9. Gluteus Maximus: located on the lower back and rear.

10. Pectoralis Major/Minor: located in the chest.

STRUCTURES OF THE HEAD AND NECK

1. The salivary glands are on the sides of the neck, between muscles. Salivary glands are soft spongy tissue that
secrete saliva and amylase (an enzyme that helps break food down). There are three salivary glands: the
sublingual, submaxillary, and parotid.

2.There lymph glands which lie anterior to the salivary glands. They are circular and are pressed against the jaw
muscles. They are not always visible in the rat.

3. The trachea is identifiable by its ringed cartilage which provides support. The esophagus lies underneath the
trachea, though it is easier to locate in the abdominal cavity where it enters the stomach.

4. The larynx, which is just anterior to the trachea. The larynx is the voice box, and it allows rats to making
squeaking noises.

THE THORACIC ORGANS

1. The diaphragm: a layer of muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.
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2. The heart: is centrally located in the thoracic cavity. The two dark colored chambers at the top are the atria
(single: atrium), and the bottom chambers are the ventricles. The heart is covered by a thin membrane called
the pericardium.

3. Thymus gland: it lies directly over the upper part of the heart. The thymus functions in the development of
the immune system and is much larger in young rats than in it is in older rats.

4. The lungs: They are spongy organs that lie on either side of the heart and should take up most of the thoracic
cavity.

The Abdominal Organs

1. The coelom is the body cavity within which the viscera (internal organs) are located. The cavity is covered by
a membrane called the peritoneum, which is very thin and web-like, you may need to use forceps to remove
some of this membrane to see the organs clearly.

2. The liver: is a dark colored organ suspended just under the diaphragm. The liver has many functions, one of
which is to produce bile, which aids in digesting fat. The liver also transforms wastes into less harmful
substances. Rats do not have a gall bladder, which is used for storing bile in other animals. There are four parts
to the liver:
-median or cystic lobe - located at the top, there is an obvious central cleft
-left lateral lobe - large and partially covered by the stomach
-right lateral lobe - partially divided into an anterior and posterior lobule, hidden from view by the median
lobe
-caudate lobe - small and folds around the esophagus and the stomach, seen most easily when stomach is
raised

3. The esophagus pierces the diaphragm at a spot called the hiatus and moves food from the mouth to the
stomach. It is easiest to locate where it enters the stomach.

4. The stomach: is on the left side just under the diaphragm. The functions of the stomach include food storage,
physical breakdown of food, and the digestion of protein. The outer margin of the curved stomach is called
the greater curvature; the inner margin is called the lesser curvature. You can make a slit in the stomach and
see what is inside it. Most of the contents should be partly digested rat food. At each end of the stomach (on
the inside) is muscular valve. The opening between the esophagus and the stomach is called the cardiac
sphincter. The opening between the stomach and the intestine is called the pyloric sphincter.

5. The spleen: is about the same color as the liver and is attached to the greater curvature of the stomach. It is
associated with the circulatory system and functions in the destruction of blood cells and blood storage. A
person can live without a spleen, but they're more likely to get sick as it helps the immune system function.

6.The pancreas: is a brownish, flattened gland found in the tissue between the stomach and small intestine. The
pancreas produces digestive enzymes that are sent to the intestine via small ducts (the pancreatic duct). The
pancreas also secretes insulin, which is important in the regulation of glucose metabolism.

7. The small intestine: is a slender coiled tube that receives partially digested food from the stomach (via the
pyloric sphincter). The coils of the small intestine are held together by a membrane called the mesentery. The
small intestine has three sections: duodenum, jejunum and ileum, (Listed in order from the stomach to the
large intestine.) The duodenum is the first stretch of the intestine leading from the stomach, it is mostly
straight. The jejunum and ileum are both curly parts of the intestine, with the ileum being the last section
before the small intestine becomes the large intestine.
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8. The colon:is the large greenish tube that extends from the small intestine and leads to the anus. The colon is
also known as the large intestine. Food entering the colon from the small intestine is controlled by the ileocecal
valve. The colon is where the finals stages of digestion and water absorption occurs and it contains a variety of
bacteria to aid in digestion. The colon consists of five sections:
cecum - large sac where the small and large intestine meet (the ileocecal valve regulates passage of materials)
ascending colon – food travels upward.
transverse colon – a short section that is parallel to the diaphragm
descending colon – the section of the large intestine that travels back down toward the rectum.
rectum - the short, terminal section of the colon that leads to the anus. The rectum temporarily stores feces
before they are expelled from the body.

Urogenital System

The excretory and reproductive systems of vertebrates are closely integrated and are usually studied together as
the urogenital system. However, they do have different functions: the excretory system removes wastes and the
reproductive system produces gametes (sperm & eggs) and provides an environment for the developing
embryo.
Excretory Organs

1.The primary organs of the excretory system are the kidneys. They are large bean shaped structures located
toward the back of the abdominal cavity on either side of the spine. Renal arteries and veins supply the
kidneys with blood

2.Ureters: they attach to the kidney and lead to the bladder.

3.The urethra: carries urine from the bladder to the urethral orifice (this orifice is found in different areas
depending on whether you have a male or female rat).

4.The small yellowish glands embedded in the fat atop the kidneys are the adrenal glands.
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The Reproductive Organs of the Male Rat

1.The major reproductive organs of the male rat are the testes (singular: testis) which are located in
the scrotal sac. On the surface of the testis is a coiled tube called the epididymis, which collects and stores
sperm cells. The tubular vas deferens moves sperm from the epididymis to the urethra, which carries sperm
though the penis and out the body.
2.The lumpy brown glands located to the left and right of the urinary bladder are the seminal vesicles. The
gland below the bladder is the prostate gland and it is partially wrapped around the penis. The seminal
vesicles and the prostate gland secrete materials that form the seminal fluid (semen).

The Reproductive Organs of the Female Rat

1.The short gray tube lying dorsal to the urinary bladder is the vagina. The vagina divides into two uterine
horns that extend toward the kidneys. This duplex uterus is common in some animals and will
accommodate multiple embryos (a litter). In contrast, a simple uterus, like the kind found in humans has a
single chamber for the development of a single embryo.

2.At the tips of the uterine horns are small lumpy glands called ovaries, which are connected to the uterine
horns via oviducts.
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