Name: ______Hr: ______

Unit 4: Skeletal System

Dissecting a Chicken

Objectives:

Dissect a Roasted Chicken, in order to identify skeletal structures common to chickens and humans.

Soak chicken bones in vinegar and soda (“pop”), in order to observe the effects of acidic substances on bones.

Materials:

GlovesPlastic KnifeTupperwareGarbage BagYour Brain 

PART A DIRECTIONS:

  1. Remove the muscle/meat from the chicken.
  1. Place in Tupperware (You can eat this later, during lunch!).
  1. [PREDICTION: WRITE HERE]

Have you ever eaten chicken wings before? Which part/s of the chicken do you think you are eating? Draw out what the chicken wing and/or the chicken wing bones look like AND Answer the question with words! (Think about the bones that are left when you are done!)

  1. [WRITE HERE]
    Before tearing apart the bones, What do you notice about the position of the skeleton? How is it laying? What would it look like if a human were lying like that?
  1. For #5-9 you will work to identify specific bones on the chicken. Use the tables to record observations of each chicken bone, in comparison to its human counterpart.
  1. Begin by identifying the LEG bones of the chicken.
    Identify: Femur, Tibula, Fibula, Tarsals, Metatarsals, Phalanges.

Human Characteristics / Chicken Characteristics
Femur
Tibula
Fibula
Tarsals
Metatarsals
Phalanges
Did anything
seem to be
“missing” from the chicken?
  1. Identify the ARM bones of the chicken.
    Identify: Humerus, Radius, Ulna, Carpals, Metacarpals, and Phalanges.

Human Characteristics / Chicken Characteristics
Humerus
Radius
Ulna
Carpals
Metacarpals
Phalanges
Did anything
seem to be
“missing” from the chicken?
  1. Identify the THORACIC bones of the chicken.
    Identify: Clavicle, Scapula, Sternum, Ribs, Vertebra.

Human Characteristics / Chicken Characteristics
Clavicle
Scapula
Sternum
Ribs
Vertebra
Phalanges
Did anything
seem to be
“missing” from the chicken?
  1. Identify the ABDOMINOPELVIC bones of the chicken.
    Identify: Overall Pelvic Girdle, Iliac Crest, Ischial Spine, Pubis.

Human Characteristics / Chicken Characteristics
Overall Pelvic
Girdle
Iliac Crest
Ischial Spine
Pubis
Did anything
seem to be
“missing” from the chicken?
  1. Identify the VERTEBRAL bones of the chicken.
    Identify: Cervical Bones, Thoracic Bones, Lumbar Bones, Sacrum, Coccyx.

Human Characteristics / Chicken Characteristics
Cervical Bones
Thoracic Bones
Lumbar Bones
Sacrum
Coccyx
Did anything
seem to be
“missing” from the chicken?
  1. What larger structures are we FOR SURE missing on this chicken?

PART B DIRECTIONS:

  1. Remove 3 bones from the chicken. Attempt to get 3 bones which are similar in size and mass.
  1. Place 1 bone in a jar with vinegar. Make sure the bone is covered with vinegar.

[MEASURE & RECORD]

Initial Mass of Bone = ______g

Final Mass of Bone = ______g

  1. Place 1 bone in a jar with soda/pop. Make sure the bone is covered with soda/pop.

[MEASURE & RECORD]

Initial Mass of Bone = ______g

Final Mass of Bone = ______g

  1. Wrap 1 bone with damp paper towel. Place the bone in a Ziploc Bag and Seal.

[MEASURE & RECORD]

Initial Mass of Bone = ______g

Final Mass of Bone = ______g

  1. Place your 2 Jars and 1 Bag on the construction paper. Write your Group Member’s Names & Hour!
  1. Take your bones out of their solutions/wrappings. Dry them off.
  1. Record the final mass of your bones above!
  2. [WRITE HERE]

What has changed about the mass of each bone? Do you think this will impact its ability to provide structure and support? Whether you say yes or no, explain yourself!

  1. As a class we are now going to see how much weight each bone can hold before breaking.

[MEASURE & RECORD]

A Normal Chicken Bone can hold ______lbs

The Vinegar Bone can hold ______lbs

Is this “good” or “bad”? Explain your reasoning!

The Soda Bone can hold ______lbs

Is this “good” or “bad”? Explain your reasoning!

PART C DIRECTIONS:

Now that you have dissected the chicken, and collected observations of its bones, you will work to understand anatomical differences between the chicken and human.

  1. What were some structural (anatomical) differences between the chicken’s leg, and a human’s leg? WHY do you think there are these differences? If there are no differences, why don’t you think there are any?
  1. What were some structural (anatomical) differences between the chicken’s arm, and a human’s arm? WHY do you think there are these differences? If there are no differences, why don’t you think there are any?
  1. What were some structural (anatomical) differences between the chicken’s thoracic bones, and a human’s thoracic bones? WHY do you think there are these differences? If there are no differences, why don’t you think there are any?
  1. What were some structural (anatomical) differences between the chicken’s pelvic girdle, and a human’s pelvic girdle? WHY do you think there are these differences? If there are no differences, why don’t you think there are any?
  1. What were some structural (anatomical) differences between the chicken’s vertebral column, and a human’s vertebral column? WHY do you think there are these differences? If there are no differences, why don’t you think there are any?