Every year, Anatomy and Physiology gets a glimpse of the organs inside our bodies through dissections of different animals, beginning with rats. On Monday, Sept. 18 and Tuesday, Sept. 19, students had the opportunity to dissect a rat during class.

“The purpose is to let kids see were the organs are located in the body and to get a better understanding of placement,” Anatomy and Physiology teacher Ms. Susan Seale said. “After I taught placement myself, I wanted to let them see it because seeing is believing. I wanted the students to have a hands-on reinforcement of what we had learned before we moved onto the next unit.”

The students in each class split up into groups of three or four and began to cut open the rat to discover and locate the part of the body and their functions. They were provided with scissors, a probe, safety goggles, gloves, and an apron for the assignment.

“I was expecting to be a little grossed out at first, but that quickly went away,” Jeb Armstrong ‘19 said. “I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would and seeing a real body was really helpful.”

After the dissection, the students filled out rat dissection lab questions based on what they had learned about the location of the organs and the functions of all the organs they identified. One of the questions asked for something that surprised them during the lab.

“I was a little unsure about the whole dissection, but I was definitely able to understand the organs in the body and [the rat] ended up being pregnant,” Christina Stephenson ‘18 said.

For many students, this was an exciting assignment that not only showed them the inside of the body, but gave them an impression of what the medical field has to offer. Many of these students are passionate or interested in understanding the way the body functions and took full advantage of this opportunity given to them.

“My favorite part of the first dissection is seeing the awe of the students when they see the organs. It really excites me when students that really appreciate the experience, and take advantage of the experience to see how the organs are connected, ” Ms. Seale said.

Anatomy and Physiology students can look forward to dissecting a sheep brain at the end of the first semester, as well as dissecting a sheep heart, cow eye, and a cat throughout the second semester.