Chicken Dissection Analysis

3/17/16 (Saint Patrick's Day!)

Chicken Dissection Analysis

1. What we did: We started with the breast of the chicken. First we removed the skin, then we made two cuts around the stemum and through the pectoralis major to expose the pectoralis minor. Then we moved to the back of the chicken where we exposed the trapezius and latissimus dorsi. We detached the wing and examined the deltoid, biceps brachii, and tricpes humeralis; here, we also found a clear view of some tendons. We then moved to the forearm of the wing and identified the flexor carpi ulnaris and the brachioradialis. Moving to the inferior part of the bird, we looked at the thigh and found the sartorius, iliotibaialis/ glueus maximum, biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and quadriceps femoris. After that we moved to the calf and found the gastrocnemius, peroneus longus, and the tibialis anterior. Having completed the dissection, we cleaned up.
   What I learned: This lab helped give me a visual of what we learned in class and in the lectures. It was cool to see the tendons and their insertions and origins. Pulling on the chicken wing show me the functional and physical difference between the two points. The insertion flexes when the muscles moves while the origin remains immovable. Also looking at the chicken wing I also got a broader sense of how the muscles, bones, and tendons play a role in movement. An example would be when we were extending the wing of the chicken, we were moving the forearm and the upperarm, which consisted of the ulna, radius, and humerus. The bones worked together to form the joint with the tendons connected the muscle tissue to the bone and allowed the wing to flex and extend. The muscle tissue itself was the thing that was actually expanding and contracting due to the sarcomeres. Through the lab I also recognized some differences between the chicken's anatomy and our own. For example, the pectoralis muscle group is a lot larger than our own. Another difference is that the calf is marginally larger. Both of these reason are due to the fact that these chickens are specifically and genetically engineered to produce the maximum amount of meat. However, chickens and humans are similar in that we contain the same muscle type of muscles tissue and cartilage, and in addition, we also have basically the same muscle structure as many of the muscles found in chickens are the same in humans. 
2. 



In humans, used for reverse curls;
Extends the wing/ arm



Flexes the leg;
aids in leg curls and power running



Helps flex arms and adduct arms;
aids in pushing movements;
pull wings ventrally








Helps with pulling motion;
adduction of arms






Extends the thigh 



Extends the thigh






Flexes the foot



Abducts arm







Pulls the shoulders down and forward;
Help do recovery stroke in birds



Flexes the hand;
 wrist curls in humans







Pulls hand back;
reverse wrist curls in humans






Extends the thigh and flexes leg






Extends foot;
Flexes lower leg;
Helps stand on toes






Connects muscle to bone






Flexes the wing/ arm



Flexes thigh;
Allows crossing of legs







Extends the foot



Shrugging shoulders;
Pulls shoulders back







Flexes thigh and extends lower leg;
Used in leg extensions in humans