Chicken Wing Dissection / Name ______
Date ______
Essential Questions
1. What are the structures of the skeletal and muscular system?
2. What is the function of the skeletal and muscular system?
3. How do we move? / Vocabulary
skeletal system, bone, ligament, bone marrow, joint, cartilage, muscular system, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, tendon
/ Objectives
1. Identify the structures of the skeletal and muscular system.
2. Identify the functions of the skeletal and muscular system.
How do the muscles, bones, and tendons work together to move a joint of a chicken wing and how do they compare to a human arm?
Although many differences exist between the anatomy of humans and chickens, one structure that shows similarities in muscle pairing and range of motion is a bird’s wing. In this activity you will study chicken wing structure and function, which is similar to that of the human arm.
Bones of the Human Arm
The arm reaches from the shoulder to the wrist. It consists of two basic parts:
1. the upper arm, which extends between the shoulder and the elbow, and
2. the forearm, which extends between the elbow and the wrist.
The upper arm is formed by one long bone, the humerus. The top end of the humerus is rounded and fits into a cup-shaped depression in the scapula, or shoulder bone, forming a ball-and socket joint. Ball-and-socket joints allow for circular movement. The two bones of the forearm are the radius and the ulna. The ulna is fixed in position, but the radius can rotate over the ulna. This makes rotation of the forearm possible in motions such as twisting a screwdriver.
Skeletal Muscles of the Human Arm
Skeletal muscles are responsible for hundreds of movements. When an organism wants to move, signals travel from the brain to the skeletal muscle cells. The muscle cells then contract, or get shorter.
Bones of the Chicken
The upper wing consists of a humerus, which is at one end, and the ulna and the
radius at the lower wing. These bones connect at the elbow joint. The rest of the wing is composed of modified hand bones.
Procedure for Chicken Wing Dissection
1. Observe (use your eyes and your hands!) the skin. Notice the bumps—these are follicles where the feathers used to grow.
2. Make first cut to remove skin. Skin the wing. Begin at the upper wing (figure 1) and end at the wingtip.
3. To remove the skin, pull and separate the connective tissue from the muscle. You will begin to see bundles of muscles under the skin. Be careful not to damage the muscle when you are removing the skin. Peel back and remove as much skin as possible.
4. Identify locations with large amounts of fatty tissue.
3. Pull on the muscles to make to chicken wing wave. Try to move both the lower wing and wingtip.
4. Find a tendon. Remember that a tendon is where a muscle meets a bone.
5. Cut back all the remaining skin and muscle so that only bone remains.
6. Snap the elbow joint and find cartilage that keeps the two bones from grinding as the joint moves.
7. Cut the humerus and find bone marrow that is inside the long bones.
Science.7Chicken Wing Dissection / Name ______
Date ______
Essential Questions
4. What are the structures of the skeletal and muscular system?
5. What is the function of the skeletal and muscular system?
6. How do we move? / Vocabulary
skeletal system, bone, ligament, bone marrow, joint, cartilage, muscular system, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, tendon
/ Objectives
3. Identify the structures of the skeletal and muscular system.
4. Identify the functions of the skeletal and muscular system.
Introduction: Although the human arm and a chicken wing perform different functions, their structures are similar.
Pre-Investigation Questions:
1. What type of tissue acts like a cushion and prevents bones from rubbing together?
______
2. What type of tissue connects one bone to another bone?
______
3. What type of tissue connects a muscle to a bone?
______
4. Where two bones meet is classified as a ______
5. Bones and muscles for simple machines capable of performing work. We call these simple machines ______.
Observations
One member of the group will complete Table 1, Data Table as you complete the dissection. Make sure that this member does not touch the chicken wing. After you have cleaned up everyone needs to complete the Data Table and Analysis Questions.
Data Table
Structure / Description (color, texture, etc) / Tissue(s) it attaches toBone
Skin
Fat
Muscle
Tendon
Ligament
Cartilage
Analysis
Directions: Complete the sentence stems below after completing lab.
1. The ______move the chicken wing by______.
2. The tendons connect ______to ______, while ligaments connect ______to ______.
3. Tendons are important to a muscle’s ability to make the body move because…
______
______
4. The part of the chicken wing is commonly referred to as the “meat” is actually______
5. I was able to make the chicken wing move by…
______
Making the Human Connection
With your left hand grasp something with weight such as a heavy textbook or pencil pouch and hold it at your side. Place your right hand on your upper left arm so that you can feel your muscles move. Slowly bend your left arm to raise the weight. Then slowly straighten your left arm to lower it. Repeat this motion a few times until you can feel and see what is happening.
6. What joint did you use to lift the weight?
______
7. As you raised the weight the
______muscle contracted and the
______muscle relaxed.
8. As you lowered the weight the
______muscle contracted and the
______muscle relaxed.
9. When you lifted the weight which bone(s) in the arm moved? ______
10. Which bone(s) in the arm didn’t move? ______
11. In our bodies which system controls the contraction of muscles? ______
Conclusion (You DO need to write in complete sentences.)
12. Then, based upon your observations in this activity, explain either how the chicken wing or the human arm moves using as many vocabulary words as you can.
______
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