======Sheep Brain Dissection======


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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  *Follow instructions provided in the links below.



====Links==== 
Sheep Brain Dissection - Center for Science Education - Great Diseases: 
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Sheep brain dissection- Ren Hartung: 
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📄 Sheep Brain Dissection - LibreTexts: [https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology/Human_Anatomy_Lab/11%3A_The_Central_Nervous_System_(Brain)/11.07%3A_Sheep_Brain_Dissection]]\\

📄 Lab: Sheep Brain Dissection - Elizabeth Moretz: [[https://elizabethmoretz.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/5/6/44567783/sheep_brain_dissection.pdf]]\\

📄 Virtual Sheep Brain Dissection - The Biology Corner: [[https://www.biologycorner.com/2020/12/27/brain-dissect-virtual/
====Variations====
  *Compare a sheep brain to a human brain model or 3D digital atlas to highlight differences in proportion and orientation.
  *Prepare thin sagittal or coronal sections (under instructor supervision) to visualize ventricles and deeper nuclei.
  *Relate external skull features to brain orientation by discussing foramen magnum position in quadrupeds versus bipeds.
  *Integrate a functional mapping exercise that links identified structures to sensory, motor, or integrative roles.




====Safety Precautions====
  *Wear gloves and a lab coat; tie back hair and avoid loose clothing.
  *Use scalpels and scissors with care; always cut on the tray with the specimen resting flat (never cut while holding the specimen).
  *Handle preserved tissues and fluids as potential chemical irritants; avoid skin and eye contact and work in a well-ventilated area.
  *Dispose of tissues as biological waste and blades in approved sharps containers; follow local protocols.
  *Sanitize the workspace and instruments after the lab; wash hands thoroughly.
  *Be mindful of latex sensitivity; provide nitrile gloves as needed.





====Questions to Consider====
  *Why is the sheep cerebrum proportionally smaller than the human cerebrum? (Sheep rely more on midbrain and olfactory processing, whereas humans have expanded cortical areas for higher cognition.)
  *How does spinal cord orientation differ between sheep and humans, and what skull feature reflects this? (Sheep have a more horizontal cord and a posterior foramen magnum; humans have a vertical cord and a centrally located foramen magnum.)
  *What is the function of the corpus callosum observed in the midline cut? (It contains commissural fibers that connect the left and right cerebral hemispheres.)
  *What is the optic chiasma and why is it ventrally located? (It is where optic nerves partially cross; it lies near the base of the brain along the visual pathway.)
  *Why might the pituitary gland be missing after dura removal? (It is attached by a slender stalk and often tears away with the dura.)
  *What do gyri and sulci accomplish? (They increase cortical surface area, allowing more neurons within a limited skull volume.)
  *How do white matter and gray matter differ in appearance and function? (White matter is lighter due to myelinated axons for rapid signaling; gray matter contains neuron cell bodies for processing.)
  *Where are the superior and inferior colliculi located and what are their roles? (On the dorsal midbrain; superior colliculi coordinate visual reflexes and inferior colliculi process auditory reflexes.)