This week, Jacob Cantu’s Anatomy and Physiology class dissect pig brains. With a total of 18 students, Cantu’s conducted this lab during his first and fifth-period classes, Wed. Apr. 28. The brains were purchased from the California Science Equipment website for use in the dissection. As Cantu’s class continues their course on the nervous system, Cantu wanted his class to have hands-on experience. Previously, Dr.Karen Walters and Nathan Case had their students dissect squids, frogs, and sharks to study their anatomy.

The purpose of the lab is to help the students familiarize themselves with the brain, analyzing its structure. If the students can work with the brain in person, it will help them learn about it.  Having the opportunity to study the pig’s brain will help to learn the connections and similarities it has with the human brain.

Anatomy and Physiology student, Bryce Foshee, ’21, shares his view on the dissection lab.

“It was a neat lab,” Foshee said, “because I’ve never seen a brain before. We got to see a lot of the same structures we’re learning about but in 3D. It was definitely a memorable lab.”

In Cantu’s next unit, the class will be studying the reproductive system of the human body. For more Feather Photos, visit The Feather media page.