Lab 13: Chicken Wing Dissection

Certain principles of muscle function help us to understand bone-muscle relationships. First, skeletal muscle contracts only if it is stimulated by the nervous system. Second, skeletal muscles usually produce movements by pulling on bones across joints. Muscles bone on bones through a connective tissue called tendons. Third, muscle usually lies next to the bones they move. And finally, muscles usually act in groups. For example, while one muscle of a group is contracting the other opposing muscle relaxes and vice versa. In today’s lab we will be dissecting a chicken wing in order to better understand these bone-muscle relationships. You will also compare the anatomy of the chicken wing to that of a human arm.

Prelab Procedure (Must be completed for day of lab):

1. Write the title, number, date, and purpose for the lab.

2. Write out a detailed procedure for the lab.

3. Include an observations sections for observation 1-6.

4. Answer the following prelab questions:

a. What function is performed by ligaments?

b. What is the function of a tendon?

c. Name the type of tissue (epithelial, cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, nervous, or connective) each of the following are.

1. bone

2. blood

3. cartilage

4. chicken wing muscle

5. hypodermis

6. ligament

7. epidermis

8. tendons

Procedure

1. Compare the external structure of your arm with the external structure of the chicken wing. Which structures are the same? Record your answer as observation (#1)

2. Examine the skin covering the chicken wing.

3. Carefully extend the wing to find out how many major parts it has.

4. In an observations section, (#2) draw a diagram and label the elbow, lower arm and hand (wing tip), bicep, tricep, ulna, radium, and humerus.

5. Use scissors to cut under the skin of the upper wing down to the first joint. Repeat for both sides of the wing.

6. With your fingers, pull the skin of the upper wing away from the pinkish muscle. Pay special attention to the connective tissue underneath the skin. Handle everything with care! Don’t cut the muscle or any tendons.

7. Observe the muscle below. Write down an observation regarding its appearance (#3).

8. Locate a tendon. Tendons are shiny white tissue at the ends of the muscles that attached muscles to bone.

9. Find the two groups of muscle in the upper arm (bicep and tricep). Hold the arm at the shoulder and pull on the tendon attached to the bicep. Observe what happens (#4).

10. Pull on the tendon attached to the tricep. Observe what happens (#5).

11. Locate a ligament. Ligaments are shiny white tissue in joints that hold bones together.

12. Locate cartilage. Cartilage is the slippery shiny white tissue at the end of the bone.

13. Once you have located everything call Ms. Franczyk over for a group oral quiz. Ms. Franczyk will give you credit by signing her name in observation (#6)

14. Finally, remove the muscles from the bone by cutting each tendon.

15. Observe the skeleton of the chicken wing.

16. Break a bone in half and observe the marrow inside the bone.

17. Throw away everything into garbage can. Cleantools/tray. Wash your hands.

Analysis and Conclusion Questions

1. What type of tissue is referred to when one speaks of the “meat” of the chicken?

2. What bone in the wing is connected to the chicken’s body at the shoulder?

3. Name the two bones found in the forearm of the wing.

4. What type of joint connects the wing to the body?

5. What type of joint moves the wing at the elbow?

6. How does a chicken flex its wings? Include the names of the specific bones and muscles involved and where and when they contract or relax. Think also about which muscles pull on which bones.

7. How does a chicken straighten its wings? BE SPECIFIC and USE YOUR TEXTBOOK. Include the names of the specific bones and muscles involved and where and when they contract or relax.