Dissect a Chicken Wing Lab B 45 minutes

Name
Date
Lab B
Class
45 minutes
Dissect a Chicken Wing
A chicken wing has many structures that are similar to those of a human arm. As in
humans, these structures perform different functions. How do these structures work
together? How are they like your arm?
Question
How do the skin, muscles, and bones of a chicken help support the chicken, enable it to
move, and regulate its internal environment?
Materials
dissecting scissors
paper towel
forceps
dissection tray
chicken wing
Safety
Procedure
1. Read and complete a lab safety form.
2. Obtain a boiled chicken wing and pat it dry with a paper towel. Flex the wing at its
joints and notice what happens.
the wing. Look at the underside of the skin. Does it look any different from the outside?
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3. Insert the scissors under the skin at the large end and cut the skin down the length of
Name
Date
Class
Lab B continued
4. Carefully peel the skin off the wing. Identify the muscles—the pink or white tissues
between the skin and the bone.
5. Examine the outer surface of the muscles. Identify the tendons, which are shiny, white
tissues at either end of the muscles. Carefully cut one of the tendons and pull the
muscle back.
6. Remove enough muscle from the wing to expose a bone. Look for veins and arteries,
which are thin, dark, rubbery tissues.
7. Examine the surface of the bone, including the ends and the middle. Try to separate it
from another bone. Look for cartilage and ligaments holding the bones together. Try to
identify the type of joint you see.
Lab Tips
• As you dissect, look for evidence of injuries or abnormalities the chicken might have.
Share your observations with your classmates.
• Cut skin and other tissues only with the chicken wing resting in the dissection pan.
Analyze and Conclude
8. Describe how the wing changed when you bent and then released it. Why do you
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
think this happened?
Remember to use scientific
methods.
Make Observations
Ask a Question
Form a Hypothesis
Test your Hypothesis
Analyze and Conclude
Communicate Results
Structure and Movement
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Name
Date
Class
Lab B continued
9. Think Critically Compare the joints of the chicken wing to joints in your own arm and
shoulder.
10.
The Big Idea Explain how the different parts of the chicken wing work together
and how they help the chicken maintain its homeostasis.
Communicate Your Results
Extension
How do the structure and function of chicken wings differ from those of human arms?
Design an experiment that would help you determine what structures human arms and
chicken wings do not share, and how the functions of each of these structures differ.
Include your hypothesis, any materials you will use, and any safety guidelines that should
be observed.
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Structure and Movement
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Prepare a poster illustrating the observations that you made as you dissected the chicken
wing. Include a diagram of the chicken wing and label the structures that you identified.
Be sure to include your hypothesis and any observations you made that supported it.