1. Pig Dissection Visual
Instructional Guide

2. Wooden Needle Scalpel
Scissors
Forceps Blunt
Probe
Small
Needle
Instruments

3. Opening the Specimen
Cut the specimen along the
edge of the bag where this
dotted line appears.
Be mindful to hold the bag
upright as you cut to prevent
excess fluid from pouring out.

4. 1. Pour the
excess fluid
into a nearby
sink from the
bag.
2. Take out fetal
pig and place
on tray like
seen on the
left.
3. Pour out
excess fluid
from bag and
place bag to
the side.

5. You will be
making multiple
incisions with the
scalpel along the
dotted lines seen
to the right.

6. First Incisions
Our first incisions with the scalpel will be along the right and left arms on the red
dotted line seen above at the red arrows.

7. Second Incision
Make your second incisions along the dotted red lines of the lower
legs. Use your scalpel on the red arrow areas.

8. Third Incisions
Cut along the lower legs and
arms where the arrows are
pointing. Use your scalpel to
cut along these lines.

9. Fourth Incisions
Make your final
incisions along the
lines on the chest,
around the
umbilical chord
and to the legs.
Umbilical Chord

10. Removing Skin
Use the forceps to pull
back the skin as you
guide the scalpel
underneath carefully
separating the skin from
the muscle.
Hold the scalpel
horizontal as seen
here. Do not cut
down into the
muscle.

11. 1
2
3
4

12. Pin back the skin with the small needles

13. Using the scalpel cut straight down into the
muscle along the inner arms to separate the
arm to pin down the entire pig.
Left Arm Right Arm

14. Do the same with the legs
Left Leg Right Leg

15. Place wooden needles through muscle in
arms and legs and into the wax to hold them
down. If they don’t stay down continue to cut
more into the muscle of the arms and legs to
loosen them.

16. Now we will use
the scalpel and
make incisions
along the dotted
lines below. Do
not press too hard
and penetrate
major organs.

17. Cut as before like with the skin. Use the
forceps and the scalpel at a horizontal angle.
You will need to press hard on the upper
body to penetrate through the rib cage
and sternum.

18. Continue to cut and use the
wooden needles to pin down both
sides of the rib cage.

19. Upper and lower body under muscle
What do you see in each picture?
Heart
Lungs
Ribs
Umbilical Chord
opening

20. Glands in the Throat

21. Peel back or cut away the muscle
of the lower body
Liver
Small
Intestine
Large
Intestine
Diaphragm
Lungs
Stomach

22. Remove the heart by cutting behind the
heart with the scalpel or scissors. Use the
forceps to hold it.
Two Atria

23. Cut the heart in half with scissors.
Aorta Right
Ventricle
Left Ventricle
Atria

24. Use forceps and scissors/scalpel to
remove the lungs.
Trachea Esophogus

25. Diaphragm laying over the liver

26. Remove liver carefully using scissors.
Do not penetrate stomach.
Front side liver Back side liver with gall bladder

27. Stomach with opening to small
intestines.
Small Intestines
Tube
connecting
the
stomach
and small
intestines
Stomach
Large Intestine
Spleen

28. Remove stomach trying not to penetrate stomach. Use
scissors carefully around the stomach.
Closed Stomach Stomach with opening cut

29. Empty contents of stomach out an
cut stomach open like a ballon.
Opening to the small intestine. Opening into the spleen.

30. Cut out small and large intestine
with scissors. Try to keep entire
system intact together.
Front side Back sideSmall
Intestine
Large
Intestine
End of large
intestine
(Caecum)

31. Kidneys
Kidney
Kidney
Rectum

32. Cut the kidney in half with scissors
Filtering
Area of
kidney
Internal
area to
distribute
urine.

33. Carefully remove the kidneys.
Esophagus
Aorta

34. Backbone
Backbone
Larynx
Trachea
Ribs

35. Press down on tongue and push
hard to break lower jaw slightly.
Underneath the tongue
Tongue
Above the
tongue
Hard upper
palette.

36. Cut off the head below the ears above the
throat using scalpel. You will need to press
hard to get through the backbone.
1. Cut away at the
skin covering the
eye using scissors
and forceps.
2. Remove upper
and lower eye lid.
3. Carefully remove
entire eye with
scissors/scalpel/fo
rceps.

37. Cut open the eye and remove hard
ball in center.
Intact eye Eye with lens removed
Pupil and Cornea Pupil and Cornea Lens

38. Observe underside of hear where
the cut was made.
Trachea
Esophagus
Spinal Cord

39. Pin down head using wooden needles in
ears and cut off skin on locations below
using scalpel and forceps.

40. Using scalpel cut firmly down into skull at
locations below. Remove pieces with
forceps and scissors

41. Brain

42. Cut out one half of brain using
scissors.

43. Disposal
1. Gather all pig remains and dispose into
large trash can.
2. Rinse all equipment, including trays, in
sink to clean.
3. Stack trays and place equipment on
large tray to dry.
4. Dispose of gloves and wash hands.