======Pig Heart Dissection======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  *Follow instructions provided in the links below.



====Links==== 
Heart Dissection GCSE A Level Biology NEET Practical Skills - Ava Hearts Biology: 
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Pig Heart Dissection - from start to finish - Imagine Jenkins: 
{{youtube>Kh2QKzVugHk?}}\\

📄 Pig Heart Dissection - Biology Junction: [[https://biologyjunction.com/heart-dissection/]]\\

📄 Virtual Pig - Whitman College: [[https://www.whitman.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/biology/virtual-pig]]\\


====Variations====
  *Inject dyed water through the vena cava or pulmonary veins to visualize valve function and flow paths.
  *Compare pig, sheep, or beef hearts for size and wall thickness differences relative to body size and lifestyle.
  *Map coronary circulation by threading fine tubing into the coronary ostia from the aorta.




====Safety Precautions====
  *Wear gloves and a lab apron; avoid contact with preservatives and do not touch your face.
  *Use scissors for most cuts; if a scalpel is required, make shallow strokes on the tray and cut away from fingers.
  *Treat all tissues and fluids as potential biohazards; keep food and drink out of the lab.
  *Dispose of biological waste and blades in approved containers; disinfect tools and benches after the lab; wash hands thoroughly.





====Questions to Consider====
  *Why is the left ventricular wall thicker than the right? (It must generate higher pressure to drive systemic circulation.)
  *What prevents backflow from the ventricles into the atria during systole? (Atrioventricular valves—tricuspid and mitral—supported by chordae tendineae and papillary muscles.)
  *Where are semilunar valves located and what is their role? (At the bases of the pulmonary trunk and aorta; they prevent backflow into the ventricles during diastole.)
  *Which vessels carry oxygen-poor vs. oxygen-rich blood entering and leaving the heart? (Venae cavae and pulmonary artery carry oxygen-poor; pulmonary veins and aorta carry oxygen-rich.)
  *What structural feature supplies oxygen to the heart muscle itself? (Coronary arteries arising from the aortic root via coronary ostia.)
  *How does double circulation improve oxygen delivery compared with single circulation? (It separates pulmonary and systemic circuits, maintaining higher systemic pressure without damaging lung capillaries.)
  *What is the function of the pericardial cavity and fluid you observed around the heart? (They reduce friction as the heart beats and help stabilize position.)