We dissected cow hearts! Check out the pictures!
Alexandra V.
During the heart dissection I learned that a cow's heart is much bigger than I thought. I also saw proof that fatty foods are no good for you. The heart was covered with hard, white fat on the top. This can keep the heart from beating normally. The thing I was really interested in was the inside of the heart. There were holes in the top we could stick our fingers through. These were where the blood vessels entered the heart. We also saw the ventricles and atria. It looked much different than I pictured.
As soon as we put on the rubber gloves, I felt nervous. It didn't help that we had chili for lunch. I thought maybe if I just got it over with, I'd feel better, so I was the first one in my group to touch the heart. After a few minutes, I got more confident. It was a lot of fun to see these things for myself, and not just pictures in a book.
Corey W.
What I learned from the heart dissection is that the heart is like a small factory. We saw all the places where the blood travels inside the heart - the atria and the ventricles. We also saw that the heart can have fat around it, and this can keep the it from working properly. (Not a pretty sight!) Overall, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am glad I was part of it.
Chinonye O.
Today in class we did "open heart" cow surgery. Actually, we dissected a cow's heart. At first, I was terrified. I had never seen a heart, and honestly never planned to. I could've sworn it was still beating. The blood was on my gloves, and the heart felt cold. I loved it, but was disgusted at the same time.
I learned from dissecting the heart that fat is hard, and muscle is soft. I expected it to be the other way around. I learned where the atria and ventricles are. It was amazing to see something so important to life for yourself. I know that my heart is smaller than the cow's heart, but there are many similarities to it. It's incredible to me that this is happening inside my body all the time!