Name: Aron Gallimore

Id#: 20151784

Course: Foundations of Biology 2

Instructor: Mr. C. Foster

Lab Instructor: Jobie Ann Powell and Orlando Hamilton

Lab Session: Wednesday 3:30-6:30

Lab#: 3

Title: Rabbit Dissection

Aim: To study the internal anatomy of a representative of the class Mammalia.

Abstract:

The lab conducted was the Rabbit ‘Dissection’ with its aim being to study the internal anatomy

of a representative of the class Mammalia. A rabbit is a small mammal that belongs to the family

of Leporidae of the order Logomorpha. This small furry vertebrate finds its habitat in meadows,

woods, forests, grasslands, deserts and wetlands. The rabbit feeds frequently up to 30 times per

day of 2– 8 g of food over 4-6 minutes. The stomach normally will contain a mixture of food,

hair, and fluid even after 24 hours of fasting. The small intestine is approximately 12% of the

gastrointestinal volume in the rabbit. By means of dissection the anatomy of the rabbit was

observed. It’s functioning and comparisons with other mammals were found so it is safe to say

that this lab was successful as the structure and function of the frog were identified.
Abbreviations:

1. Logomorpha: Is an order of mammals that includes: rabbits, hares and pikas.

2. Crepuscular: Constitutes animals that are mainly active during twilight.

3. Myxomatosis: Is a highly infectious disease in rabbits that causes swelling in the mucous

membranes, inflammation and discharge around the eyes.

4. Visceral pleura: Is the delicate serous membrane that covers the surface of each lung and

dips into the fissures between the lobes. Redigest: The act of breaking down food again.

5. Nonglandular stratified squamous epithelium: Are used to provide the body smooth, low

friction surface over which fluids can move easily.

6. Coelomic epithelium: Is epithelium layer that lines the surface of the body wall and

abdominal organs.

7. Hindgut fermentation: Is the process of digestion in herbivores that don’t produce gastric

acid.

8. Caecotrophs: This is the action of producing soft pellets of food by digestion and

excretion through the anus.

9. Auditory system: Is the sensory system of hearing.

10. Gastrointestinal Tract: Is the organ system responsible for transporting and digesting

foodstuffs, absorbing nutrients, and expelling waste

Introduction:

The lab conducted was the Rabbit ‘Dissection’ with its aim being to study the internal

anatomy of a representative of the class Mammalia. In this this lab exercise a live rabbit was

shaved, dissected and its internal organs observed. A rabbit is a small mammal that belongs to

the family of Leporidae of the order Logomorpha. This small furry vertebrate finds its habitat in

meadows, woods, forests, grasslands, deserts and wetlands. Domesticated rabbits live together in

a herd. However a group of wild rabbits are called a colony, fluffle or nest and live together in

groups of burrows called warrens. A warren is a group of burrows. Most of the world’s rabbit

population live in North America (being more than half the world’s supply). They are also found

in southwestern Europe, Asia, Sumatra, some islands of Japan, and in parts of Africa and South

America.

Male rabbits are called bucks while females are called does. Rabbits are crepuscular

meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk. The average sleep time of a rabbit in

captivity is said to be 8.4 hours. As with other prey animals, rabbits often sleep with their eyes

open so sudden movements will wake the rabbit and alert it to dangers. Rabbits are herbivores;

they graze on grass, forbs and leafy leaves. Their diets are consisted of a lot of cellulose and as a

consequence it is difficult to digest. This problem is resolved as rabbits by hindgut fermentation.

This is the process by which they pass two types of faeces, hard droppings and soft black vicious

pellets. The soft pellets also called caecotrophs are immediately eaten. Rabbits reingest their own

fecal matter as a means of proper digestion as well as to extract sufficient nutrients. For the first

half hour, rabbits graze heavily and rapidly in their feeding period; which usually occurs in the
late afternoon. After which another half hour is dedicated to selective grazing. In this time also

the rabbit will excrete many hard pellets of faeces which will not be reingested. If the

environment is non-threatening the rabbit will remain outdoors many hours grazing.

Hard pellets are made up of hay-like fragments of plant cuticle and stalk, being the final

waste product after redigestion of soft pellets. These are only released outside the burrow and are

not reingested. While soft pellets are usually produced several hours after grazing, after the hard

pellets have all been excreted. They are made up of micro-organisms and undigested plant cell

walls.The chewed plant material collects in the large cecum, a secondary chamber between the

large and small intestine containing large quantities of symbiotic bacteria that help with the

digestion of cellulose and also produce certain B vitamins. The pellets are about 56% bacteria by

dry weight, largely accounting for the pellets being 24.4% protein on average. The soft faeces

form here and contain up to five times the vitamins of hard faeces. After being excreted, they are

eaten whole by the rabbit and redigested in a special part of the stomach. The pellets remain

intact for up to six hours in the stomach; the bacteria within continue to digest the plant

carbohydrates. This double-digestion process enables rabbits to use nutrients that they may have

missed during the first passage through the gut, as well as the nutrients formed by the microbial

activity and thus ensures that maximum nutrition is derived from the food they eat.

Rabbits can be affected by a number of diseases; many being genetically modified to

control their population. These include pathogens that also affect other animals and or humans,

such as Bordetella bronchiseptica and Escherichia coli, as well as diseases unique to rabbits such

as rabbit haemorrhagic disease: a form of calicivirus, and myxomatosis. Among the parasites that

infect rabbits are tapeworms such as Taenia serialis, external parasites like fleas and mites,

coccidia species, and Toxoplasma gondii.

Apparatus/Materials:

The materials used in the lab experiment were:

1. Rabbit

2. Dissecting pan

3. Scalpel or Razor Blade

4. Probe
Method:

1. The animal was placed in the dissecting pan, ventral side up. The legs were tied securely
to the corners of the pan or by passing a string under the pan from front leg to front leg
and hind leg to hind leg. It was ensured that the specimen was held firmly before
dissection began.

2. The lower edge of the sternum (breastbone) was found and an incision was made through
the skin from that point to the pelvis. This exposed the layers of the abdominal muscles.
The skin was stripped backed to the sides and the muscle layer was examined. Using the
scissors or the scalpel, another incision was made through the muscle layer. This exposed
a thin membrane, the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity. The peritoneum was
cut through to expose the abdominal organs. The abdominal cavity was open wide by
making several lateral cuts and pulling the skin and muscle layer well to the side.

3. The diaphragm was located, which divides the abdominal cavity from the thoracic or
chest cavity. Using your scissors, the ribs was cut through along the left side of the
breastbone to the neck. The incisions were continued to the larynx.

4. The liver was located, which occupies the upper right area in the body cavity, just below
the diaphragm. The liver was raised with your forceps and the prominent gall bladder was
found, and the bile duct, which leads to the small intestine. The blood vessels were
noticed which lead to the liver from the lower side and to the heart from the upper region.
The gullet was found which passes through the diaphragm and enters the stomach at its
upper end. At the point where the lower end of the stomach joins the small intestine was a
muscular valve, the pylorus. The red elongated organ extending around the stomach in
the fetal pig was the spleen. It is the digestive organ. The pancreas was large in the
mammal and was located below the stomach. It appeared as a white, granular organ. It
was examined closely to see if the pancreatic duct could be found which empties into the
intestine near the entrance of the bile duct.

5. The small intestine was a coiled and twisted tube, many feet in length. It was held in
place by fan-like folds of the mesentery. The small intestine was raised at several points
and the mesentery was examined. Blood vessels along the surface of the intestine through
which the absorption of food takes place were noticed. The small intestine began at the
stomach and ended at the junction with the large intestine. The large intestine appeared as
a compact coil. The junction of the large and small intestine was found. Below the
junction was a large, blind end, the caecum. The large intestine was traced from the
caecum to the point where it lead to the anal opening.

6. The digestive organs were pressed to one side and find the kidneys, located on either side
of the spinal column. They are red in color and bean-shaped. The small tubes, the ureters,
which lead from the interior side of each kidney to the bladder were found.
7. The ribs were spread apart and the heart examined. It lied in a thin-walled sac, the
pericardium. The pericardium was opened and the surface of the heart was examined and
the great blood vessel connected to it. On either side of the heart are the large, spongy
lungs. The trachea which lead to the lungs were then found. Just above the lungs, the
trachea divided to form a Y. It was found with the probe. Immediately under the trachea
was the gullet leading to the stomach. The trachea was followed to the larynx. As the
neck tissues were cut through, the granular lymph glands were observed as well as the
thyroid glands which appear as two pinkish, rounded structures, one on either side of the
trachea, but below the pharynx.

8. The following were labelled in a diagram: gall bladder, small and large intestine, thyroid
glands, heart, stomach, liver, lungs, and spleen.

9. The liver was loosened from the diaphragm and the gullet was cut, passing through the
diaphragm just above the stomach. The liver was grasped and pull downward gently.
Using a pair of scissors, the membranes which fasten the digestive organs along the back
were cut. Pulling and cutting of the membranes were continued, using care not to cut the
large vessels running along the back or to damage the kidneys and ureters. The lower end
of the large intestine was followed and cut it just above the anal opening. The digestive
organs and spleen were now able to be lifted out in one piece. The liver and spleen were
removed. The small intestine was unraveled from the stomach to the large intestine to
determine its length. The coils of the large intestine were loosened and the length of this
portion of the digestive tract was determined. The length of the gullet which was
removed was estimated. By adding the lengths of the gullet, stomach, small and large
intestine, the total length of the alimentary canal was determined.

10. The digestive organs were discarded and the kidneys were examined. A cut under each
kidney was made to remove them along with the ureter tube. A kidney was sectioned
laterally and its internal structure was examined. A spongy cortex was found on the other
curved side and a hollow pelvis on the inner concave side. The renal blood vessels which
lead to and from the kidneys were found. The kidneys were discarded.

11. Cuts were made around the larynx located high in the neck and it was raise it with
fingers. Using a scalpel, a cut was made along the trachea, lifting it as it was cut. The
large blood vessels were cut. The aorta was found, which passed between the lungs on
the back side of the heart. The aorta was then cut loose. The other tube was the gullet. It
was traced to the upper side of the larynx and removed. The lungs and heart were laid
aside. The epiglottis, was found; a muscular valve at the top of the larynx. The
cartilaginous rings composing the trachea were noticed. The trachea was followed to the
Y just above the lungs. The lobe of the lungs were cut to see the large bronchial tubes.

12. The heart was removed from the lungs by cutting the pulmonary arteries and veins. The
heart was sectioned laterally and the chambers examined.
Discussion:

The lab conducted was the ‘Rabbit Dissection’ with its aim being to study the internal anatomy

of a representative of the class Mammalia. In this this lab exercise a live rabbit was dissected and

its internal organs observed. A rabbit is a small mammal which has a unique anatomy when

compared to other Mammalians by its systems an organs functioning. The skeletal system of a

rabbit makes up 8% of its body mass. It has 46 bones in its vertebral column; 7 cervical, 12

thoracic, 7 lumbar, 4 sacral (pelvis) and 16 coccigeal (tail). The lumbar vertebrae of a rabbit are

elongated to allow flexing and extension during hoping, which make them liable to fracture. The

hopping movement of the rabbit is allowed by the hind legs being longer than the forelegs. Most

of the elongation lies below the knee in two bones, the tibia and the fibula. The rabbit’s hind legs

are adapted to kick out with so much force so that if they stamp their feet violently on the ground

they are prone to fracture of their backbones and damage to their backbones. Wild rabbits are

very athletic animals that are built to move rapidly in order to find food, water, find or fight

mates, or flee predators over greater distances to find a hiding place and as such they need a

string muscular system. This daily exercise strengthens the locomotive muscles, build the

muscles in their hearts and relieves it of stress.

As rabbits are completely herbivores they graze on grass, forbs and leafy leaves. Their
diets are consisted of a lot of cellulose and as a consequence it is difficult to digest. As such they
need to have an efficient and long digestive system. Rabbits are true non-ruminant herbivores
meaning that their digestive reservoir permits and increases the efficiency of utilization of
fibrous diets. The stomach of the rabbit holds approximately 15% of the volume of the entire
gastrointestinal tract. It is a J- shaped thin walled organ. The adult rabbit stomach has a pH of 1–
2. The rabbit feeds frequently up to 30 times per day of 2– 8 g of food over 4-6 minutes. The
stomach normally will contain a mixture of food, hair, and fluid even after 24 hours of fasting.
The well-developed cardiac sphincter is lined with nonglandular stratified squamous epithelium
and prevents vomiting. Digestion in the stomach begins with hydrochloric acid and pepsin and
continues into the proximal small intestine. The small intestine is approximately 12% of the
gastrointestinal volume in the rabbit. The cecum of the rabbit is large and may contain 40% of
intestinal content; it has 10 times the capacity of the stomach. The cecum is thin-walled and
coiled in 3 gyral folds. It ends in a blind-ended tube called the vermiform appendix. This
appendix contains lymphoid tissue and secretes bicarbonate that buffers the cecal acids, and
water to form the cecal paste.

Rabbits are nasal breathers; so if they are breathing through their mouth they are in
severe respiratory stress. They have a small chest cavity compared to the size and weight of their
digestive system. The respiratory channel is separated from the food channel by the palate. The
respiratory system of a rabbit consists of nasal chambers, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.
The respiratory passage is divided into two regions: anterior nasal chamber and the posterior
respiratory tube. The nasal chambers serve as very efficient filters as it removes fine and coarse
dust particles and germs. The larynx is a cylindrical box like structure. Inside the larynx there is
a cavity known as laryngeal chamber which contains vocal cords. These vocal cords can be set
into vibration by the passage of air over them to produce the voice; in rabbits a squeak. After the
larynx is the trachea, a long respiratory tube extending through the neck into the thoracic cavity.
It is lined internally by ciliated cartilaginous rings. These ‘c’ shaped cartilaginous rings help to
prevent the collapse of trachea and to keep it expanded allowing free passage of air to and from
the lungs. The thoracic cavity is small in comparison with the large abdominal cavity. In the
thorax, the trachea divides into left and right bronchi which enter the lungs. The bronchi possess
the similar structure as the trachea. After entering in to the lungs each bronchus divides into
many thinner branches, called bronchioles. The lungs are soft compact and spongy mass of
tissues lying in the pleural cavity within the thorax. They are covered by a fold of coelomic
epithelium, which is in contact with the organ visceral pleura. Each lung is divided into lobes;
right and left. The right lung has four lobes while the left lung has two lobes.

By circulating blood throughout the body, the cardiovascular system functions to supply
the tissues with oxygen and nutrients, while removing carbon dioxide and other metabolic
wastes. As oxygen-rich blood from the heart flows to the tissues of the body oxygen and other
chemicals move out of the blood and into the fluid surrounding the cells of the body’s tissues.
However the cardiovascular system of rabbits is slightly unique. Both the right and left
atrioventricular valves are bicuspid in rabbits. The heart is small relative to total body size,
comprising only 0.3% of the total body weight. Rabbits have the most muscular pulmonary
artery of any species, which contributes to their predisposition for pulmonary hypertension. A
rabbit heart is divided into two sides; the left side pumps the blood to the body, and the right side
pumps blood to the lungs. The left side is more muscular than the right as it needs to generate
enough pressure to pump blood round the entire body of the rabbit. The right side receives blood
carrying carbon dioxide (waste product) and pumps it to the lungs. This carbon dioxide is then
expelled from the lungs as the rabbit breathes out.

The main sensory organs in the rabbit anatomy consist of the eyes, the nose and the ears. .
They have large eyes that are located on the sides and upper part of the head, enabling each eye
to see more than one half of a circle. Together, they can see in every direction. Therefore, a
rabbit can see an approaching predator and be on the lookout for an escape route simultaneously.
Rabbits have limited colour perception, although it is widely thought that they can distinguish
between red and green. The twitch of a rabbit’s nose is a very obvious characteristic, and very
important to its survival. Not only does it draw air in to fill its lungs and breathe, in the same way
as we do, but it also helps the rabbit detect danger, and identify friends and potential mates.
Rabbits have over fifty million receptor cells in their nose, compared to our meagre six million.
These enable rabbits to detect predators well before they may even see them. Rabbits, like many
other animals, have two types of scent detection cells in their nose. Olfactory sensory cells detect
ordinary airborne odours, while a specialized group, the Jacobson Organ, pick up heavy
moisture-borne molecules and pheromones. Hearing is the most vital sense within the rabbit
anatomy. The auditory system is used to detect predators, as well as to help a rabbit perceive the
area around him. Most rabbits have large, erect ears. When alert, the ears move forward and
backward as they attempt to pinpoint the danger. They can move their ears independently of each
other to help them hear if danger is approaching; it acts as the rabbit’s built-in radar system.

.
Conclusion: By means of dissection the anatomy of the rabbit was observed. It’s functioning

and comparisons with other mammals were found so it is safe to say that this lab was successful

as the structure and function of the frog were identified.

Reference:

 Campbell, N.A., & Reece, J.B. (2005). Biology. 7th Edition. San Francisco: Pearson

Education, Inc.

 Kenneth Saladin (1998).Anatomy and Physiology

 Rabbit Retrieved March 3, 2016

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit
 Annotations

A. Eyes: Allows rabbits to see in all directions.

B. Nose: Allows the rabbit to detect danger and other rabbits.
C. Ears: Allows rabbit to detect danger without seeing them
D. Liver: Performs various functions regarding metabolism, detoxification and digestion.
E. Trachea: Allows the passage of air.
F. Gall bladder: Stores bile to help in the breaking down of food and fats.
G. Lungs: Distribute oxygen throughout the body and carbon dioxide out of the body.
H. Larynx: Gives the rabbit its voice/ squeak.
I. Large Intestines: The latter part of digestion occurs here and undigested food leaves the
body.
J. Small Intestines: Area where in which most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients
occur.
K. Heart: Pumps blood throughout the rabbits body.
L. Kidney: Use for the excretion of urine.
M. Spleen: Produces and removes blood cells from the body
N. Pancreas: Secretes pancreatic contains digestive enzymes that assist digestion and
absorption of nutrients in the small intestine.
O. Stomach: Allows rapid digestion of the rabbit’s high fiber diet.