Fetal Pig Dissections

As students walked into Mr. Langdon’s classroom at the end of January, they were greeted with the sweet smell of fetal pigs.  Scalpels, scissors, pins, and pans sat on the counter, along side buckets each designated with a fetal pig and two ‘parents.’  Sam was the daughter of proud parents, Drew Ros and Matt Newton, and Aphrodite was the daughter of Asdell and I.  It was interesting to hear the different names chosen- Aphrodite, Porky, and Mimi, just to name a few.

Finally, it was time to make the first cut. After making a some precise incisions, we were able to examine the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, kidneys, inferior vena cava, aorta, and many other parts. Next, we examined the heart and lungs. A cut along the fetal pig’s neck revealed the larynx, trachea, lungs, thymus gland, diaphragm, and heart. We were then able to identify all the atrium and ventricles of the heart. We had just finished a chapter on the heart in Biology, so it was extremely interesting to be able to see all the parts in real life.

Lastly, we observed the head and throat. The parts of the brain were very unique. It was exciting to be able to identify the cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla, which we have learned about previously in  Biology class.

            Although the dissections were very fun and enjoyable, they were also very educational – which was probably the purpose of ever doing them in the first place.  We got to see first hand what the inside of a pig looks like and how each function works together.  Surprisingly to some, the anatomy of a pig is very similar to that of a human.  We did not dissect them out of pure curiosity of pigs.  We were able to take our knowledge of human anatomy and apply it to the dissections.

After looking at the intricacy of the structure of these fetal pigs, I began to see once again the detail that God puts into each and every one of His creations. Just looking at the complexity of the inside of a pig’s kidney reminded me of God’s power. If God cared so much about pigs, I can’t imagine how much He cares about His children.

                - Joelle Byers and Jade Kroening, Seniors