Candy Bar Dissection
Dissection Skills and Anatomical Language
The Candy Bar Dissection Lab
Purpose: To practice dissecting skills and use anatomical terminology.
Materials: Dissecting tray (paper plate) Plastic Knife
Paper towel
Metric Ruler
Specimen
White paper
Stencil of specimen body
* Note: Imagine the candy bar is a 4-legged animal, so establish front (rounded side), back (flat side), head, & tail regions.
Procedure:
1. Label one side of the dissecting tray anterior (head) and the other side posterior (tail).
2. Draw upper and lower extremities (arms and legs) as well as a head on your paper plate around the candy bar stencil which is the body. When this is ready raise your hand to get your candy bar. Place the candy bar with the wrapper removed on the tray with its head end at the anterior end of the tray, ventral side up (curved side of the candy bar).
3. Before continuing, create a labeled diagram on white paper of your candy bar labeling: anterior, posterior, ventral (belly), dorsal (back), medial (middle line), lateral (sides), cephalic (the head), caudal (tail), proximal (center).
4. Turn your candy bar over and observe the dorsal (bottom) side. On your paper, describe how it is different from the ventral side (i.e. size, texture, etc.). When this is done, you can raise your hand to get your knife.
5. Carefully make a complete transverse incision (horizontal cut all the way through the middle) through your candy bar. Draw the cross-sectional view on your paper making sure to color different parts of the candy bar accordingly (i.e. distinguish caramel from nougat or chocolate using labels).
6. Carefully make a midsagittal cut (vertical cut through the middle) through one of the pieces created in #5. Draw the midsagittal view on your paper making sure to color different parts of the candy bar accordingly (i.e. distinguish caramel from nougat or chocolate using labels).
7. Do a frontal cut (stand up and cut downwards in half) through the other half of your transverse cut from #5. Draw the frontal view on your paper making sure to color different parts of the candy bar accordingly (i.e. distinguish caramel from nougat or chocolate using labels).
8. When all of the above steps are completed, show me your dissected candy bar and diagram. If approved, ENJOY!!
9. Turn your lab into the “Put It Here Box.”