Sara Zaky

Hour 3

Cat Dissection: Lab Experience Reflection

Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to view the muscles and structures in the cat which are

very similar to the human body and to practice dissecting specimens.

Materials: The necessary materials for this lab include:

● A tray to place the cat on

● Probe

● Scapula

● Scissors

● Tweezers

● Gloves (need to bring in)

● Cat

● Apron

● Bone cutter

● Hair tye

● Rubber bands

Materials that would have been nice to have during this lab include:

● Provided gloves(we would not need to bring them in)

● Sharper bone cutters

● New aprons daily

Methods: Some methods that I have used to learn and understand the material during this

dissection include: Using Quizlet to aid in memorization of the different muscles, organs,
structures, arteries, veins, nerves, etc., and writing out all the OIP’s and everything we needed to

know for the different muscles and structure of the cat.

As the lab went on, my methods changed. I started to be less careful around my cat, and instead

of solely using probes and materials, I started using my hands so that I was able to dissect more

quickly and efficiently since I was working alone.

Some new techniques I learned as this lab went on include: Carefully using the probe to lift very

small and fragile ligaments connecting to certain muscles, which we needed to know, in order to

separate them, transecting muscles at a 90 degree angle, and separating muscles efficiently.

Lab Experience:

● External Features: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the external features of

the cat include how its abdomen was very large, and its skin was very thin compared to

the rest of its body.

Diagram with labels of major structures:

Function of major organs/muscles:

1. Abdomen- digesting food- excess skin here helps cats squirm out of the grasp of other

predators

2. Skin- protection of muscles and inner organs- protects cat from infections, etc

3. Pinna- protection of ears- cats are very sensitive to sounds, so pinna capture sound waves

and funnel them through the ear canal to the eardrum.

4. Tail- aid in balance when cat walks on its hind legs

● Lower extremity: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the lower extremity of

the cat include that there are many more muscles than I had expected, and there are very

small muscles like the flexor digitorum longus which have somewhat large purposes.
Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

1. Gastrocnemius- extends foot

2. Flexor Digitorum Longus- extends toes

3. Tensor Facia Lata- covers quadriceps; its tendon of insertion has the largest

sesamoid bone of the body.

4. Adductor Femoris- adduct the thigh

5. Semimembranosus- flex leg

6. Sartorius- flex the leg

7. Gracilis- adducts the thigh

● Upper Extremity: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the upper extremity of

the cat include that there are many very large veins such as the external jugular, and the

shoulder consists of three muscles portions of the deltoid instead of just one.
Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

1. Brachioradialis- flex forearm

2. Epitrochlearis- extends arm

3. Biceps brachii- flex forearm

4. Pectoralis- adducts arm

5. External jugular vein- transport blood from head and neck

6. Deltoid (3 portions)- spinous- depress shoulder; acromial- retract scapula; clavicular-

elevate shoulder

7. Sternomastoid- turns head laterally

8. Cleidomastoid- turns head laterally

● Digestive: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the digestive system of the cat

include that the liver was very large (much larger than I had expected), and the abdominal
 aorta and inferior vena cava were also very large and running down the center of the

body.

Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

1. Gall bladder- stores bile and contracts to release bile into small intestine

2. Liver- blood filtering, storage, protein/lipid/carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification, and

secretion

3. Kidney- Maintains homeostasis by regulating fluids, removing waste, secreting

hormones, and maintaining blood volume and blood pressure

 4. Small intestine- 3 portions- duodenum and jejunum body carry digested food through

intestine and are used for absorption and digestion; ileum completes the digestion of food

and absorption

5. Large intestine- little to no digestive function, walls contain tubular glands to secrete

mucus to help with movement, also helps control pH, also have bacteria to keep normal

gut

6. Pancreas- glandular organ that secretes hormones and digestive enzymes

7. Spleen- processes old red blood cells

8. Stomach-4 portions- cardiac is where food enters, fundic is a temporary storage area,

body is the digesting area with acids and enzymes, pyloric pushes food through this

portion into small intestine

9. Esophagus- where food enters

● Urinary: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the urinary system of the cat

include how thin the ureters are and how they connect the kidneys to the bladder, and

how small the kidneys were in my cat.

Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

1. Kidney- Maintains homeostasis by regulating fluids, removing waste, secreting

hormones, and maintaining blood volume and blood pressure

2. Bladder- the body's urine storage tank. Urine produced by the kidneys flows through the

ureters to the urinary bladder, where is it stored

3. Urethra- a narrow pathway where urine passes from the bladder to the outside of body

4. Ureter- carries urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder

 ● Reproductive: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the reproductive system of

the cat include

Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

1. Horns of Uterus- one of the points of attachment for the round ligament

2. Ovaries- The ovaries produce and release eggs into the female reproductive tract at the

midpoint of each menstrual cycle

3. Uterus- houses the embryo and sustains its development

● Cardiovascular: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the cardiovascular system

of the cat include that the inferior and superior vena cava were very large, and that there

are many veins and arteries that move inwards into the cat and connect to the main veins

and arteries which are the vena cavas and the abdominal aorta.

Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

1. Heart- hollow, cone shpaed muscular pump- pumps blood throughout body

2. Abdominal aorta- provides blood to the organs and tissues of the abdomen, pelvis, and

legs
 3. Superior vena cava- receives blood from the head, neck, upper limbs, and chest, and

empties into the right atrium of the heart

4. Inferior vena cava- carries deoxygenated blood into the heart

5. Subclavian vein- continues the axillary as the main venous stem of the upper member

6. External jugular vein- drains blood from the face, scalp, and superficial regions of the

neck

7. Brachiocephalic vein- drain blood from the head, neck, and upper limbs, and unite to

form the superior vena cava

● Respiratory: Two interesting things I observed in relation to the respiratory system of the

cat include that the tongue has rough projections called papillae, and the tongue also has a

connection to the floor of the mouth called the frenulum.

Diagram with labels of major structures:

Functions of major organs/muscles:

 1. Lung- left- used to bring in the oxygen into body, oxygenates blood to be carried

throughout body

2. Trachea- wide, hollow tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs

3. Diaphragm- the primary muscle used in the process of inspiration, or inhalation;

separates thoracic cavity from abdominal cavity

4. Tongue- 3 parts- frenulum- connects midline of tongue to floor of mouth, helps with

movement; papillae- provide friction on tongue, helps to handle tongue, also have taste

buds; palate- forms barrier of mouth- soft palate moves uvula upward during swallowing

5. Pharynx- connects nasal and oral cavities with larynx and esophagus

6. Larynx- used to breathe, talk, and swallow

Reflection of Lab Experience: All in all, throughout this lab I learned a lot about myself. I

learned that I do not like to be behind at all, so I will work very hard to get ahead and be able to

relax. Hence, I learned that I have a lot of stamina. I also learned a lot about learning from my

mistakes. After I accidentally cut a nerve that we needed, I learned to be more careful in my

dissecting. Since I did not have a partner in dissecting my cat, this experience was a bit stressful,

but I did learn that I am capable of accomplishing everything by myself and doing it well. I also

learned that it is ok to ask questions when I do not know about something. Overall, this

experience was great and I learned a lot not only about dissecting a cat, but also about myself.