Pig Circulatory System

Pig and Human Anatomy In today’s standard anatomy classes- among other science classes- pigs are the most commonly dissected mammal because they have the most similar anatomy to a human. They have the same organs and many of the same muscles pertaining to similar human functions. When dissecting pigs it is important to remember the basic directional points. For example, median means to the middle, lateral means to the sides, dorsal is the belly-side, etc. It is also important to have lab safety plans involved, such as wearing goggles, always cutting away from the body, wearing gloves, and cleaning up perfectly. The first system I will cover is the muscular and skeletal system- this system allows our body to move and protects our organs. Pigs …show more content…
The circulatory system in both pigs and humans is made up of the heart, veins, capillaries, and arteries which circulate blood throughout the body. The blood carries oxygen from the lungs to every living cell in the body, while also removing waste from the lungs and kidneys. Pigs and humans also share a very similar pulmonary system which is a part of the circulatory system where the blood is carried from the lungs where the heart has pumped blood, so it can gather oxygen. The blood then returns to the start- the heart. The heart is a two pump system. The right side is where the deoxygenated blood is pumped to the lungs and the left side takes the oxygen filled blood and pumps it to the rest of the body. The human and pig heart both contain the vena cava, right and left atrium, right and left ventricle, and the aorta. Another function of the circulatory system is to fight off infections. Blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen to and from the heart, white blood cells are a sign of infection, and platelets help to reduce blood clotting. Arteries in both humans and pigs carry blood away from the heart and veins carry blood back to the heart. Fetal pigs receive oxygen from the mother through the umbilical vein in the …show more content…
The nervous system for both pigs and humans includes: brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, and the autonomic nervous system. The brain for both humans and pigs is encased by the skull and is surrounded by nervous tissue. The spinal cord extends from the brain to the narrow canal to the tail, very similar to humans. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves leaving the brain and the spinal cord to transmit the electrical pulses throughout the body, just like humans. The autonomic nervous system is the involuntary nervous system that controls the heart, lungs, movement of the muscular wall during digestion. The nervous system is what helps to control movement and functions of the body. The function of the brain is the reception of stimuli, which is contributed by sensory cells. The system transfers information throughout the body through impulses known as nerve impulses, which are sent and received by neurons. The nervous system is known as the most important organ system because it tells the other systems what to do and when to do