Last week, students in the anatomy classes at Shadow Ridge High School rolled up their sleeves for yet another fantastic dissection and explored the inner workings of the cardiovascular system by dissecting real sheep hearts.
As part of their unit on the human circulatory system, students were given the opportunity to examine and identify key structures of the heart, such as the atria, ventricles, pulmonary arteries, etc.
This hands-on experiment allowed students to make direct connections between video diagrams and the actual anatomy.
Sheep parts are usually used in dissections because of their close similarity in structure and function to human parts.
While some students were initially hesitant, many found the dissection both interesting and educational.
The lab helped students gain a deeper understanding of how blood flows through the heart and how each chamber and valve works together to keep the circulatory system functioning.
The dissection process, like every other, involved careful instruction of surgical tools and discussion of safety protocols.
Students were guided by their teacher through the procedure and encouraged to ask questions, make observations, and discuss their discoveries with their lab partners as they finished the assignment to go along with their unit.
Lindsee Pretty, a junior at Shadow Ridge, states, “I think the dissections help us learn more about what we are focusing on because we get a visual 3D representation of what it looks like instead of just looking at 2D diagrams.”
Many students were surprised at the reality of different aspects of the heart as opposed to their expectations.
Being able to physically feel and see the mechanics of the heart helped reinforce the lesson in a way that diagrams and videos never could.
Pretty adds, “Dissecting a sheep’s heart gave me a better understanding of how the heart works because we got to see the different chambers, the different muscles that work to pump it, the aorta, the veins, the arteries, and we got to hold it in our hands to not just see but feel how it works as well.”
Dissections labs are a staple of the Shadow Ridge High School anatomy curriculum and are often remembered as a highlight of the course.
Austin Burnett, also a junior at Shadow Ridge High School, comments, “Dissecting sheep hearts was pretty fun. My group and I had a blast learning about the chambers of the heart and documenting our progress as we identified the ways the blood flows through the heart.”
The many dissections offered to students give them a chance to engage with science in a practical, memorable way, and for many, it sparks a deeper interest in biology, medicine, and other health-related lifelong career pathways.
