Chicken Wing Dissection

A whole chicken wing is skinned to reveal muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones, then pull on tendons to see how they flex and extend the elbow and move the digits. Carefully expose the elbow joint to observe synovial fluid and articular cartilage, using the wing as a model for human arm anatomy and function.

• Follow instructions provided in the links below.

Chicken Wing Functional Dissection - Stephen Rizner:

Chicken Wing Dissection: step by step procedure for doing this in class - Imagine Jenkins:

📄 Dissecting a Chicken Wing - Lyncean Education: https://lyncean.education/projects/human-body/chicken-wing/

📄 Virtual Musculoskeletal System Exploration: Chicken Wing : https://sis.archimedean.org/homework.php?ID=&hwID=52768

• Compare a fresh wing to a previously simmered and cleaned wing to highlight joint shapes and hand bones.
• Test mechanical advantage by measuring force needed to flex the elbow when pulling tendons at different distances from the joint.
• Dissect a chicken leg next and compare femur tibia fibula to humerus radius ulna to discuss limb homology.
• Use thread loops on multiple tendons to coordinate finger like movements of the wing tip for a demonstration model.
• Contrast wing anatomy with a human arm model or diagram to map homologous structures.

• Wear disposable gloves and lab coat; wash hands thoroughly after the activity.
• Handle blades and shears carefully; cut away from fingers and body; keep tools on a stable cutting surface.
• Treat raw poultry as a potential source of pathogens; avoid touching face; keep separate from foods and kitchen items used for eating.
• Disinfect benches, tools, and trays after use; do not reuse household utensils for food preparation unless they have been thoroughly sanitized.
• Dispose of tissues, skins, and contaminated towels in sealed trash according to local waste rules.
• If simmering to clean bones, use dedicated cookware, avoid splashes, and allow components to cool before handling.

• Which muscles flex and extend the elbow, and how can you tell? (The anterior muscle pulls to flex and the posterior muscle pulls to extend; pulling their tendons produces these motions.)
• What is the difference between a tendon and a ligament? (Tendons connect muscle to bone; ligaments connect bone to bone across a joint.)
• What fluid and tissue reduce friction inside the joint? (Synovial fluid and articular cartilage.)
• How is the wing an analog for the human arm? (Both have a single proximal bone and two forearm bones with similar muscle group functions, indicating homologous limb structure.)
• Where do you find spongy bone and where do you find marrow? (Spongy bone in the epiphyses near joint ends; marrow in the medullary canal of the shaft.)
• Why does a dull blade often work better than a sharp scalpel for skin removal in this activity? (A dull blade separates along natural tissue planes without cutting underlying fascia and muscles as easily.)
• What motion occurs at the elbow joint and what prevents dislocation during normal movement? (Hinge like flexion and extension; the joint capsule and ligaments stabilize the bones.)