
Laboratory Rat Dissection
OBJECTIVES:
1. To name mammalian organ systems, and state the function of each
2. To identify these organs in a dissected rat
3. To relate the functions of these organs
MATERIALS:
Preserved rat
Dissecting tray
String
Dissection scissors dissecting needle
Scalpel
Probe
Metric tape measure
Plastic bag
Masking tape
String
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Mammals are endothermic vertebrates that usually have hair or fur, bear live young, and nourish
their young with milk produced in mammary glands. The placental mammals are the largest group of
mammals. Placental mammals develop completely inside the mother’s uterus before they are born. During
this time of development, these animals are connected by the umbilical cord to the placenta, a capillary-rich
organ that attaches to the wall of the uterus. There, nutrients and oxygen from the mother’s body are
exchanged with wastes and carbon dioxide from the developing fetus. In this investigation, you will be
studying the rat. An in-depth examination of this organism will help you to better understand the features
and body systems of all placental mammals, including humans.
PRE-LAB:
1. Obtain a rat and lay it on its side in a dissecting tray, Observe the major body areas of the rat: head,
neck, trunk (which includes the chest or thoracic region, and the abdominal region), and a tail.
2. On the diagram of the external features of the rat on your answer sheet, label the anterior and
posterior ends of the rat, the dorsal, ventral, and lateral surfaces, the head, neck, trunk, and
tail. Refer to diagram 1 for help.
3. Use the measuring tape to measure the length of the rat from the tip of the nose to the base of the
tail. Record the measurement on you answer sheet.
4. Examine the rat’s head. Notice the cleft in the center if the lip. It is called the philtrum. On either
side of the philtrum are mystacial pads which contain long sensory hairs called vibrissae. Locate
the rostrum or snout, eyelids, and the external ears pr pinnae. Find the external nostrils or nares.
On the diagram of the rat on your answer sheet, label the rostrum, mystacial pads, pinnae,
eyelids, and nares.
5. Study the rat’s appendages. The forefoot is called the manus, and the hind foot is called the pes.
Note the claws. Label the manus and pes on your answer sheet.
6. Lift the rat’s tail to find the anus. Study the ventral surface of the rat. Notice the small bumps called
mammary papillae. These are present in both sexes. In the female, these structures connect to the
mammary glands which produce milk to nourish the young. In the rat, there are usually six pairs of
mammary glands.
7. Determine the sex of your rat by observing the ventral body surface beneath the tail. If a sac like
scrotum and a single body opening are visible, the animal is a male. If three body openings are
present, it is a female. Refer to diagram 2 and 3 for help.
8. Answer questions for this section on your answer sheet.
9. CLEAN UP YOUR MATERIALS. Place the rat in a plastic bag. Label a piece of masking tape
with your name and class period. Place the masking tape on your bag, and close the bag with a
rubber band.
10. Wash all dissecting equipment and the dissecting tray. Line up all equipment in the pan. Wash
your table with soap and water. Be sure to have your area checked by your teacher before
you leave the room.