Sheep Heart Dissection 3/2/22, 8:32 AM
Name ___________________________________ Hour_________
Sheep Heart Dissection
External Anatomy
1. Identify the right and left sides of the heart. Look
closely and on one side you will see a diagonal line of
blood vessels that divide the heart, this line is called the
interventricular sulcus. The half that includes all of the
apex (pointed end) of the heart is the left side. X
2. Locate the coronary arteries and veins that are on the
surface of the heart.
x
3.. Find the flaps of dark tissue on the top of the heart.
These ear-like flaps are called auricles.
x
4. Tne front-most vessel is the pulmonary trunk. Place a
probe or pencil in this vessel to mark its place. x
5. Just behind the pulmonary trunk is the aorta.
Depending on how the heart was removed, you might
also see a branch of the aorta called the
brachiocephalic artery. Place a pencil or probe in the
aorta to mark its place.
x
6. Turn the heart so that you are looking at its dorsal
side (the back of the heart.) Find the large opening at
the top of the heart next to the right auricle. This is the superior vena cava. Place a pencil in this vessel, you
may also use your finger to feel the inside of the right atrium.
x
7. Locate another opening on the backside of the heart on the left side. This is the pulmonary vein.You can feel
the inside of the right atrium by probing this opening with your finger. Place a pencil in the pulmonary vein
opening.
x
Checkpoint: Make sure you know the location of each of the following before continuing to the internal anatomy
of the heart:
superior vena cava inferior vena cava aorta x
pulmonary artery
x
pulmonary veins xx
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Sheep Heart Dissection 3/2/22, 8:32 AM
left atrium & ventricle right atrium and
ventricle
auricle apex coronary arteries &
veins interventricular sulcus
8. Visually (or use diagrams) to indicated which
vessels connect to which chambers:
Pulmonary artery to the
____________________
right ventricle
Pulmonary vein to the
left
_____________________
atrium
Aorta to the
leftventricle
_____________________________
Superior vena cava to the
__________________
atrium
right
Dissection: Internal Anatomy
1. Use a scalpel to make an incision in the heart at the superior
vena cava. The incision should follow the line of the right side of the
heart so that you can open just the right side and see the right
atrium, the right ventricle, and the tricuspid valve between them.
2. The chordae tendineae, also called the "heartstrings" can be
found attached to the thin flaps of the tricuspid. They are anchored
to the wall of the heart at the papillary muscle.
3. Make a similar incision on the left side of the heart to expose the
left atrium, left ventricle, and the bicuspid valve. You will also be
able to see the chordae tendineae and the papillary muscle on this
side of the heart.
5. Insert a probe into the aorta and observe where the probe exits
the heart. You may even be able to find the small aortic semilunar
valve a the place where the aorta connects to the heart. This valve
does not have chordae tendinae and was likely broken when you
identified the aorta in the first part of this activity.
** Compare the heart of the sheep to human hearts by viewing various heart models in the room.
Label the Heart
1. Superior
______________________
VenaCava
2. ______________________
Brachia
cephalicartery
3. ______________________
Leftcommoncarotidartery
4. ______________________
Leftsubclavian
artery
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Sheep Heart Dissection 3/2/22, 8:32 AM
5. ______________________
Aorta
6. ______________________
Leftpulmonaryarteries
7. ______________________
atrium
Right
8. ______________________
Ittagiomrate
9. ______________________
10. _____________________
Rightventricle
11. _____________________
Ii Piii
13. Aortic
devalue
12. _____________________
_____________________
valve
14. What muscles attach to the chordae tendinae to hold the
valves in place? ________________
PapillaryMuscles
15. What are the flaps on the front of the atria called?
_________
Auricles
16. If you place a probe in the aorta, into what chamber will it
leftventricle
exit? ____________________
17. The superior and inferior vena cava enter into what chamber
of the heart? ________________
Rightatrium
18. The large vessel on the front of the heart that lies in front of
the aorta is the __________________
Coronaryartery
19. What are the tendons that connect the valves to the muscles
? _______________________
chordaetendinae
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