The document provides instructions for dissecting a rat during an anatomy unit, including making initial incisions to open the chest and abdomen cavities. It describes the key organs found in each cavity - the heart, lungs, and diaphragm in the chest cavity and the liver, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and kidneys in the abdomen. Each organ is briefly described in terms of its location, appearance, and basic function.

1. ANATOMY
Unit 1 Notes:
Rat
Dissections

2. (1) Organs To Know
• Heart
• Lungs
• Diaphragm
• Stomach
• Liver
• Small Intestine
• Large Intestine
• Kidneys

3. (2) Initial Incisions
1. Lie rat on its back.
2. Press down on limbs to open up chest + belly.
3. Make 2 horizontal incisions:
- (1) Directly below throat
- (1) Directly above crotch
4. Make 1 vertical incision:
- From throat  crotch
- Pull up on skin + muscle to avoid cutting internal
organs.

5. (3) Organs In The Chest Cavity
• Ribs:
Bones covering heart and lungs.
• Heart:
Looks like red-brown nugget in center of chest.
• Lungs:
– Look like brown lobes/flaps.
– 1 Lung on either side of heart.
• Diaphragm:
– Looks like a thin, smooth piece of muscle.
– Directly under ribcage.

6. (4) Organs In The Abdomen
• Liver:
– Largest internal organ.
– On rat’s right side / On your left side.
– Large, hard, brown, lobed organ.
– Directly underneath diaphragm.
• Stomach:
– On rat’s left side / On your right side.
– J-Shaped, squishy sac.
– Directly underneath diaphragm.
• Small Intestine:
– Flesh colored, squiggly tube.
– Small = Thin in diameter.
– Middle of abdomen, connecting to stomach.
• Large Intestine:
– Flesh colored, squiggly tube.
– Large = Thick in diameter.
– Middle of abdomen, connecting to anus.

7. (5) Organs Along The Back
• Kidneys:
– Look like kidney beans.
– Red-brown color.
– Must remove all other digestive organs first.
– Lie along lower back, 1 on each side.

9. Yes you need to
draw this!!

10. (6) Basic Organ Function
• Heart: Pump blood + circulate nutrients.
• Lungs: Bring in oxygen + expel carbon dioxide.
• Diaphragm: Help lungs fill with air.
• Stomach: Metabolize food.
• Small Intestines: Absorb nutrients from food.
• Large Intestine: Expel food waste.
• Liver: Break down bad blood cells + toxins.
• Kidneys: Filter blood.